The study, which analyzed data from 224,000 commercial members, showed that individuals living with obesity face healthcare expenses that are 2.3 times higher than those without obesity, with an average annual cost increase of over $662 per person.
“When we think about what’s driving the cost of care in America … a big piece of it comes down to the rise in metabolic issues and the costs associated with them,” Craig Kurtzweil, chief data and analytics officer for UnitedHealthcare’s employer and individual business, told Becker’s. “Obesity is a hot topic in the healthcare landscape, especially with GLP-1s, so we wanted to provide some data to illustrate what’s really happening.”
Many employers aren’t large enough to conduct studies on this scale, so UnitedHealthcare provides the research to help employers understand the root causes of certain conditions and mitigate business risks around healthcare coverage. According to the report, obesity is expected to potentially affect nearly half of U.S. adults by 2030, adding urgency to the need for employers to take action against higher healthcare costs in the future.
“If an employer with 5,000 enrollees in their plan could reduce obesity rates by just 25%, they could save around $8.5 million,” Mr. Kurtzweil said.
“[These costs] are escalating and becoming a bigger and bigger issue,” he added. “We’re framing the conversation with employers to focus on the data — What’s happening to your population? What do your rates look like? Where do we see some pockets? It’s probably not everybody across the population. From there, it’s figuring out the right solutions for those subpopulations. For example, fostering a healthy environment, offering nutritional counseling, promoting access to exercise facilities, and not forgetting the mental health aspect of this.”
The study examined the intergenerational risks of obesity, showing that children of parents with obesity are two to three times more likely to develop obesity themselves. In a corresponding article about the study, Mr. Kurtzweil and Patty Starr, president and CEO of the Health Action Council, also pointed to the high costs and low long-term adherence rates associated with GLP-1s.
“We see a very high rate of members that start these medications and don’t keep taking them,” Mr. Kurtzweil said. “The economics and adherence rates just make the math really hard for GLP-1s in their current state to be an effective tool or solution for employers to combat this problem.”
Insurers and self-funded employers have made significant changes to their GLP-1 coverage policies in recent years, including dropping coverage entirely, reflecting the financial and operational challenges posed by the high-cost medications.
According to a Mercer survey of more than 2,000 employers in 2024, 44% with 500 or more employees offer GLP-1 coverage for obesity. Among employers with 20,000 or more employees, 64% offer coverage.
“Every employer is talking about it, hearing about it, evaluating it,” Mr. Kurtzweil said. “Employers who don’t offer this coverage are asking whether they should, while those who already do are questioning if they should. It’s very much in flux.”
In January, a study examining more than 125,000 adults in the U.S. found that the majority of patients discontinue GLP-1 RA therapy within the first year, with those without Type 2 diabetes showing the highest dropout rates. A Blue Cross Blue Shield Association study in 2024 showed that 30% of patients stopped using GLP-1 medications within the first month, and 58% of patients discontinue GLP-1 use before reaching a clinically meaningful health benefit.
“A member with obesity costs as much as a member that’s 27 years older, so changing a Millennial into a Baby Boomer when it comes to what we expect from a healthcare perspective,” Mr. Kurtzweil said. “This isn’t just about finding the population that’s making these choices, but how you identify them and help them. We want to provide the right programs, processes, communications and incentives to give them a path forward.”
