Survey Highlights Dynamic Employer Response to Rising Obesity Drug Costs

A recent survey from WTW found 38% of employer-sponsored health plans provide coverage for anti-obesity medications, while another 22% are planning on or considering covering those drugs in 2024 or 2025. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of employers that are members of WTW’s Rx Collaborative cover anti-obesity drugs, according to Cody Midlam, a director in the company’s Pharmacy Community group.

Midlam tells AIS Health, a division of MMIT, that “we’re definitely seeing the trend is leaning towards adding coverage” of the medications, which are expected to be costly for plans in the coming years. Morgan Stanley, for instance, projected in a September report that the global market for weight management medications could reach $77 billion in 2030, up from just $2.4 billion last year.