Many workers seek jobs with GLP-1 coverage

A KFF study shows employer-provided health plans remain the primary coverage source for U.S. workers under 65, encompassing roughly 165 million individuals as of March 2025. However, whether these plans include GLP-1 drugs for weight management depends entirely on the employer’s policy.

A Gallup survey found that the percentage of U.S. adults taking GLP-1s for weight loss purposes increased from 3 percent in 2024 to 11 percent in 2026. A 9amHealth survey of 545 workers revealed that 73 percent considered GLP-1 coverage a significant factor when deciding to take or stay at a job.

GLP-1 Coverage and Job Decisions

Additionally, 31 percent of surveyed workers said they would change jobs to get GLP-1 coverage. This shows the importance of GLP-1 coverage in employees’ job decisions. Some companies, such as Walmart, are planning to cover over 250 prescription medications, including GLP-1s for diabetes, at no additional cost in 2027, as they make plans for GLP-1 coverage.

Bank of America is also investing heavily in GLP-1 weight loss medication coverage for its employees, spending over $250 million annually. However, other companies are planning to reduce coverage due to rising costs of the weight loss drug.

Benefits of GLP-1 Coverage

Many employees have reported benefits from having easy access to GLP-1s, including improved sleep, increased energy, and enhanced focus. Ongoing research by Harvard economist Rebecca Diamond found that unemployed women who took GLP-1s for 18 months had a 26.9 percent better chance of getting a job compared to those who wanted the medication but weren’t on it.

This is partly due to weight stigma in the workplace, which can negatively impact individuals with higher body weights. According to Rebecca Puhl, a professor at the University of Connecticut, “In our society, thinness has come to symbolize very strong values.” A 2011 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that heavier women earn less money and continue to be penalized as they get older.

A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research discovered that GLP-1 treatment for weight loss also helped reduce long-term sickness leave, saving employees roughly $722 per year per employee receiving treatment in Denmark. GLP-1s can also treat chronic diseases like diabetes, which are projected to cost companies an average of $900 billion annually in employee productivity across the U.S.

Megan Tuano, a Pittsburgh resident paying for her GLP-1s out of pocket, emphasized the importance of access to these medications, stating, “If these medications do open doors, it worries me that the people who could benefit most may be the ones who can’t afford them.”