How Many Adults with Private Health Insurance Could Use GLP-1 Drugs

More than two in five (42%) or 57.4 million adults under 65 with private insurance could be eligible under clinical criteria for GLP-1 drugs used to treat people with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or excess weight and weight-related health issues, according to a new KFF analysis.

Though only about 3% of adults with employer coverage had a prescription in 2022, demand for and spending on GLP-1 drugs has grown and could continue to grow. Given the steep costs and high demand for these drugs, employers and insurers may continue to impose more restrictive eligibility standards for coverage than the clinical indications set by the Food and Drug Administration.

The full analysis and other data on health costs are available on the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, an online information hub dedicated to monitoring and assessing the performance of the U.S. health system.