The Moral Dilemma of Pricey Weight-Loss Drugs and Insurance Coverage

The high cost of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro is forcing employers to make moral decisions about insurance coverage. While these drugs have shown benefits for weight loss and improving cardiovascular health, their price tag of over $1,000 per month raises concerns about affordability and overprescribing. Employers are grappling with whether to cover these drugs for weight loss, considering the significant public health problem of obesity in the United States. The hope is that competition from new weight-loss drugs in the pipeline and the transition to cheaper oral medications will bring down the cost. In the meantime, manufacturers offer discount cards, but coverage depends on individual insurance plans.