About 165 million Americans rely on employer-sponsored health insurance, and yet workers may still not get the coverage they want — particularly when it comes to drugs such as Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic.
About 1 in 3 employees are looking for more resources to combat obesity, according to a recent report by consulting firm Gallagher. Glucagon-like peptide-1 treatments such as Wegovy and Ozempic, which mimic hormones produced in the gut to suppress a person's appetite, are considered game changers on this front.
These blockbuster weight-loss drugs have skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. but are still not universally covered — even though "Americans have higher rates of obesity and diabetes and more behavioral health conditions today than ever before," according to Trilliant Health's "2024 Trends Shaping the Health Economy" report.
Cost is a key issue.
Although research shows that obesity drugs may have significant health benefits beyond shedding unwanted pounds, organizations representing U.S. insurers have said concerns remain about the high price involved in covering those medications, which are nearly $1,350 per month for a single patient.
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