8 insights on how employee benefits consultants can help address obesity in the workplace
Obesity Weight loss Weight-loss medication
As GLP-1 medications gain traction for weight loss and chronic disease management, employers face complex decisions regarding coverage, cost control, and long-term outcomes. Wondr Health’s latest playbook offers the following insights and more on how to help your clients optimize employee health while managing financial risks:
- Treat obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity is not a simple matter of willpower or calories in and calories out. It is a chronic, complex disease that requires long-term management, much like diabetes or hypertension. Shifting our view of weight loss as a short-term goal to building habits that improve health outcomes and quality of life enables a more sustainable benefits strategy, reduces bias, produces a healthier workforce, and lowers healthcare costs.
- Address the root cause of obesity. Obesity is a leading cause of 200+ of the most costly and prevalent chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and MSK concerns. Investing benefit dollars in comprehensive programs rooted in behavior change has the greatest sustained impact on chronic condition risk, prevalence, and medical spend.
- Use human & digital touchpoints. Having a solution in place that includes both human and digital behavioral support, nutrition counseling, expert guidance, and personalized content helps with medication adherence, nutrition and healthy eating skills, improved movement, and emotional health. Condition-specific tracks also are helpful for your clients’ population that are living with chronic disease.
- Offer full-spectrum support. Whether your clients cover GLP-1s or not, delivering a continuum of care across the acuity spectrum will help them scale and adapt to strengthen current and evolving employee benefit plans to improve workforce health and contain costs.
- Provide access to obesity experts & tailored treatment. GLP-1s should not necessarily be the first line of defense when it comes to weight loss. Implementing tiered benefits and step therapy, along with clinicians who specialize in obesity medicine, ensures that the most cost-effective and clinically appropriate drugs are prescribed based on the patient’s overall health profile. This strategy not only enhances adherence to treatment but also helps control healthcare costs, leading to improved patient outcomes.
- Provide support to prevent GLP-1 discontinuation. Despite their effectiveness, GLP-1 medications have high discontinuation rates (30% within three months and 50% within six months) primarily due to side effects and costs. This underscores the importance of comprehensive support programs to enhance adherence and long-term success.
- Provide flexible coverage options to mitigate financial risks. Wondr Health offers flexible medication coverage options (from 100% employee self-pay to limited or full coverage) allowing employers to control costs while providing access to effective treatments.
- Optimize coverage with data. Employers offering GLP-1s should track usage, discontinuation rates, and clinical outcomes to ensure cost-effectiveness. A strategy guided by data-derived insights will have a stronger impact on both short-term and long-term outcomes that can strengthen ROI.
Obesity and weight-related chronic conditions are growing workplace challenges, and while GLP-1s are revolutionizing treatment, they also present cost and access concerns. The future holds promise, including new medications, expanded indications, and greater affordability, but the rapid evolution of obesity management makes it difficult for employers who reassess benefits annually.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, employers need a forward-thinking approach to balance coverage, cost, and outcomes. By leveraging the strategies outlined here, you can help your clients stay ahead of the curve, integrating innovative benefits solutions that not only enhance employee health but also drive long-term financial sustainability. The future of obesity management is transformative, and with the right strategy, employers can lead the way in shaping a healthier, more productive future for their workforce.
For more information, access the full playbook here:
👉 Download the GLP-1 Playbook
