LM Summer 2024

Your Health Matters

GLP-1 conundrum: New anti-obesity meds are effective, but costly. From Health Alliance™ and Optum Rx ®

The down side? The average monthly wholesale price of each approved GLP-1 anti-obesity medication currently exceeds $1,000. Considering that the average prescription drug cost is $86, that’s pretty expensive for most of us So why are GLP-1 drugs so important? People who are overweight or have obesity are at a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and overall poor health. Treatment of obesity-related conditions costs the U.S. healthcare system nearly $173 billion each year. Furthermore, employers can expect annual productivity losses due to obesity ranging from $271 to $542 per employee with obesity. So working to reduce obesity offers both health and economic benefits to us all. That’s why the high cost of these new anti-obesity medications presents such a conundrum. Millions of people could potentially be in line to use them, and the benefits could be enormous. Based on FDA package labeling, more than half of U.S. adults are eligible for a GLP-1.

A new class of anti-obesity medications has become the most talked-about drugs in pharmacy, but it also has far reaching implications for those most impacted by rising healthcare costs—including those among your teachers and staff, as well as their loved ones, who have diabetes or weight-management issues. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist drugs mimic the action of hormones involved in regulating blood sugar and caloric intake. People using these drugs experience a slower emptying of the stomach and decreased appetite. As a result, some patients are reporting body-weight reductions of 20% or more, which is on par with the results seen from bariatric surgery. GLP-1 drugs were already widely used for type 2 diabetes management when people began to notice they also caused weight loss. In fact, the active ingredients in the three GLP-1 therapies currently approved for obesity management were previously approved for diabetes under different brand names.

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To learn how Health Alliance can save your district money, contact your ISEBC agent:

Clemens and Associates, Inc.: tcockburn@clemensins.com (Egyptian, Shawnee, Kaskaskia, Southwestern and Wabash Valley)

American Central Insurance Services: jeremy@americancentralins.com (Abe Lincoln, Central Illinois Valley,

J. Krug: lsimios@jkrug.com

James Unland & Company, Inc.: bshock@unland.com (Western (Knox County) and Central Illinois Valley (Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties)

(Blackhawk, Kishwaukee (Boone, DeKalb and Winnebago counties), Northwest and Starved Rock)

Corn Belt, Illini, Kaskaskia, Two Rivers and Western)

*Health Alliance Medical Plans received the highest score in the Illinois/Indiana Region in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Satisfaction Study of members’ satisfaction with their commercial health plan experience. Visit jdpower.com/awards for more details.

31 LM Summer 2024