Maine is installing a mandatory nutrition program for state employees using GLP-1s for weight loss, according to the state’s Office of Employee Health, Wellness and Workers’ Compensation.
As GLP-1 prices pressure health plans and employers, some have been strategizing with diet- and lifestyle-focused programs to curb use or maintain member weight loss. Under the Maine employee health plan’s Virta Health program, the state will include the Virta Responsible Prescribing enhancement beginning July 1. The health plan will only cover GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss for members enrolled and engaged in the program. Those with diabetes are exempt from this requirement.
“Adding this program enhancement will allow members to sustainably lose weight with or without reliance on medications,” a spokesperson told Becker’s May 11.
The state estimated annual savings of $3 million. After fulfilling initial weight-loss goals, some members may “stop their GLP-1 prescription as they continue to work toward sustaining their health goals, which will also contribute to overall plan cost savings,” the spokesperson said.
The program allows shared decision-making between Virta Health’s coaches and clinical team, as well as the member’s primary care provider, focusing on “sustainable health behaviors that result in reducing chronic disease risk.”
Of the roughly 26,400 members in the state employee health plan, approximately 1,800 members are using GLP-1s for weight loss. In its employee health plan, Maine reported $16.7 million spent on GLP-1s for weight loss so far in fiscal 2026, up from $4.3 million in fiscal 2024.
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