Why GLP-1s aren't lowering employers' costs

The vast majority of employer health plans do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss. But roughly 20% do, many believing it will help their bottom line. Perhaps when employees take Wegovy or Zepbound, they’ll need less medical care tied to health issues from obesity. Today on the show, can GLP-1s save employers money in the long run?<br /><br />Fact checking by <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez" target="_blank">Sierra Juarez</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Your Next Listen </strong><br /><br />— <a href="https://lnk.to/92GYT4WE" target="_blank">No healthcare premiums? In this economy?! Here's how.</a><br />— <a href="https://tradeoffs.org/2026/04/16/should-people-who-want-glp-1s-have-to-work-for-them/" target="_blank">Julie Wernau's original episode with Tradeoffs</a><br /><br /><strong>Connect with The Indicator </strong><br />— Sign up for <a href="https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter" target="_blank">The Indicator’s brand new newsletter</a><br />— Find our <a href="https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr" target="_blank">socials, YouTube and more</a>!<br />— For sponsor-free episodes, <a href="https://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank">subscribe to NPR+</a> <br /><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>