Employee Benefits Market Check Survey: Employer Strategies for GLP-1 Drugs

The attention and scrutiny focused on GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic remains significant.  These medications are demonstrating they can impact more than weight loss, but price and usage remain complicated, and employer approaches to coverage continue to evolve, often caught between rising cost pressures and lingering uncertainty about the right path forward.

We conducted a survey on July 16 to explore how coverage has changed over the past several years and what additional factors are being considered. The results are summarized below.

Key Findings

GLP-1 drugs continue to generate significant headlines.  The availability of pills is growing, access is expanding in Medicare, and recent studies show they may have a positive impact on aging. There also remain challenges with patients adhering to the medication long term and issues with compounded drugs.

Cost remains the biggest factor for employers, as over half say it’s driving their current approach. Coverage for diabetes and weight loss has grown steadily, more than doubling since 2024, though it still represents a relatively small share of overall plans at just over 1 in 10. For those providing coverage for weight loss, over 3 in 10 require a prior authorization before the prescription is filled.

Looking ahead, most employers expect stability rather than change: 4 in 10 plan to maintain their current approach over the next 1 to 2 years, while roughly 1 in 5 are actively evaluating adjustments.

It is encouraging that, since 2024, more employers have become aware of how their plans cover this drug class. But with nearly a third still unsure of their coverage today, and roughly the same share unsure of their strategy going forward, the message is clear: employers who haven’t reassessed their GLP-1 approach recently should do so now, before cost pressures or competitive dynamics force a reactive decision rather than a deliberate one.

Should you have any questions regarding any of this information or want to discuss your pharmacy strategy, please contact your local Assurex Global adviser.