GLP-1 RA Utilization Linked to Higher Medical Costs Among Employees With Obesity

Key Takeaways:

• In a study of 127 408 employees diagnosed with obesity between 2016 and 2023, 5.8% were treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).
• Patients treated with GLP-1 RAs had more comorbidities and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores than patients not using GLP-1 RAs.
• GLP-1 RAs are associated with increased economic burden, as patients using GLP-1 RAs had 19.4% higher medical costs than those not using GLP-1 RAs.

Obesity prevalence is rising among US adults, and it presents a challenge for employers. It is estimated that 30% of civilian employees have obesity, which can lead to higher medical costs, disability payments, and work absences.

GLP-1 RAs have been shown to be effective in weight management, but their impact on work outcomes remains unknown. Researchers used data from the Workpartners Research Reference Database (RRDb) to compare rates of obesity, care costs, and work outcomes between employees treated with GLP-1 RAs and those not using them.

Obesity and Comorbidities Among Employees with GLP-1 RAs

Investigators identified 127 408 employees diagnosed with obesity between 2016 and 2023. Within this population, 7359 employees (5.8%) were treated with GLP-1 RAs. Rates of obesity increased 11.9% in 2016 to 16.9% in 2023.

Patients using GLP-1 RAs had more rates of comorbidities, specifically type 2 diabetes (T2D), which represented 13.5% of the study population. T2D prevalence decreased from 16.1% in 2016 to 11.3% in 2023. Rates of other comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH) remained stable or increased slightly during the study period.

Employees using GLP-1 RAs also had higher CCI scores than patients not using GLP-1 RAs, 1.18 vs 0.47, respectively. In addition, comorbidities were associated with higher CCI scores.

GLP-1 RAs are Associated With Higher Medical Costs

Obesity drug costs significantly increased from $171 in 2017 to $1301 in 2023, reflecting the dramatic rise in GLP-1 RA costs.

Employees using GLP-1 RAs had 19.4% higher direct medical costs than employees not using GLP-1 RAs, $12 092 and $10 130, respectively.

Work Productivity

The use of GLP-1 RAs was not associated with significant changes in work outcomes. No notable differences were observed in absenteeism and short-term disability days, although employees not using GLP-1 RAs had higher overall short-term disability costs.

Implications for Managed Care

Coverage for GLP-1 RAs remains limited due to high obesity medication costs, despite their effectiveness in disease management. However, weight loss is associated with reduced care costs, which suggests GLP-1 RAs have the potential to lower obesity medical costs.

The authors said, “Future studies are warranted to understand GLP-1 RA persistence and adherence and the economic impact of GLP-1 RAs as effective tools for managing weight loss among employees.”

Reference

Good CB, Beren IA, Rosenberg EM, Peasah SK, Brook RA. Medication use for patients with obesity: trends and characteristics for US employees. Am J Managed Care. 2026;32(4):238-244. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2026.89920