Trouble Ahead For GLP-1 Drugs As Health Plans Stop Paying

InnovationHealthcareTrouble Ahead For GLP-1 Drugs As Health Plans Stop PayingByBruce Japsen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Japsen writes about healthcare business and policy.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 09:00am EDTPhoto Illustration of the new Wegovy semaglutide tablets with injectable prescription weight loss medicines, Ozempic, Victoza and Wegovy. Its a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and physical activity. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesMore employers and health plans are balking at paying for costly GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound and Wegovy for weight loss and the treatment of obesity, according to a new report.A survey of benefits executives at more than 235 employers, health plans and unions showed nearly half, or 49%, or firms who do not currently cover GLP-1s for obesity would “not do so at any price,” Pharmaceutical Strategies Group said in a statement accompanying its 2026 Trends in Drug Benefits Report released Tuesday. Meanwhile, 9 in 10 of the respondents from plans with a median of 14,000 enrollees, said they were “moderately” or “very concerned” about the affordability of GLP-1 therapies for the plan. “As drug costs climb, payers are under pressure to re-evaluate benefit design and cost management strategies,” said Morgan Lee, Vice President of Research and Marketing at PSG. “The debate around GLP-1 coverage is a prime example of the balancing act benefits leaders face as they navigate skyrocketing demand, affordability concerns, and uncertainty around long-term patient outcomes.” Just last week, Cigna confirmed it was no longer covering GLP-1 weight loss drugs for its own employees effective July 1. The change, however, doesn’t impact coverage of the prescriptions for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Cigna is acting like about 95 percent of employers that the PSG report says cover G...