Massachusetts Eliminates Some GLP-1 Insurance Coverage for Weight Loss

Rapidly rising health care costs contributed to the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission's recent decision to eliminate coverage for GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity.

Why Massachusetts Ended GLP-1 Coverage

WWLP-TV in Springfield reported, "The decision aims to curb surging health care costs and lower premium increases for the state's public insurance plan."

"The GLP-1 medications will remain covered for members using them to treat other conditions, such as diabetes," according to the report.

How Many Public Workers Are Affected

The MGIC voted 10-7 to claw back the benefit. The public insurance plan covers more than 460,000 public workers and retirees. Some 22,000 use GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Obesity Rates in Massachusetts and Nationwide

Just over a quarter of Massachusetts residents (27 percent) struggle with obesity, but Patch.com reported, "Massachusetts ranks 49th in obesity, according to an analysis from the personal finance website WalletHub that uses publicly available data from the CDC, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and USDA, as well as data from health advocacy groups."

"Obesity, which has nearly tripled over the past 60 years in the United States, is considered a public health crisis, in part due to its overlap and causal relationship with other diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer," according to Patch.

Get our free mobile app

WWLP reported that supporters of the coverage change "believe that removing these high-cost drugs from the coverage list will allow the agency to reduce expenses significantly as it struggles to pay claims."

Roughly 25.3 percent of Massachusetts children ages six to 17 are overweight or obese.

The Future of Obesity Trends in the U.S.

America's Health Rankings says, "If current trends continue, the adult obesity rate (national) is projected to reach 52 percent by 2030."