Co-Pays For GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs To Rise If They’re Even Covered

InnovationHealthcareCo-Pays For GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs To Rise If They’re Even CoveredByBruce Japsen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Japsen writes about healthcare business and policy.Follow AuthorMay 24, 2026, 09:52am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Photo 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 ImagesThe latest report on rising employer healthcare costs shows GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound and Wegovy are the biggest contributors to rising prescription spending. And that’s not good for employee out-of-pocket costs. Take last week’s 2026 Milliman Medical Index report showing the annual cost of insuring a family of four eclipsed $35,000, rising 7.2% between 2025 and 2026. Of that, Milliman estimates the family’s “expected employee contribution plus out-of-pocket costs” is 58% of the total, or about $15,000. "Pharmacy is the fastest-growing cost component of the MMI in 2026, rising 14.8% year-over-year for the average person," the Milliman analysis, which estimated prescription drug costs at 13% of total 2026 family health spending, or $4,700. “There are many factors at play when it comes to increasing healthcare costs for employers and employees. GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight-loss management have become a meaningful and growing component of pharmacy spend, and will continue to impact employer pharmacy costs in 2026.”When employer healthcare costs rise, companies almost always shift more costs onto their workers in the form of premiums that employees pay out of their paychecks or various cost-sharing whether i...