Cigna is cutting off coverage of pricey GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs for its own employees, even as those same medications remain a hot-ticket item across the country. Coverage under the company’s Group Medical Plan ends July 1, according to an internal email sent to staff on June 1.
The move targets some of the most widely prescribed weight‑loss medications on the market, including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. Employees who are already on the drugs were told they have until June 30 to refill prescriptions under the current benefit.
Internal materials reviewed by Reuters show Cigna confirmed the change and told employees: “As availability has increased and new options have emerged, we’ve made the decision to end our plan’s coverage for GLP‑1s for weight loss.”
According to those materials, affected employees can still pay cash through manufacturer channels or via the TrumpRx portal, but those purchases “will not apply toward a deductible or the amount of spending required before enrollees can use their health coverage.”
Cigna stressed that the cut applies only to its in‑house employee plan. Coverage the company administers for clients is unchanged, and GLP‑1 coverage for treating type 2 diabetes will remain in place. Older, generic weight‑loss drugs will still be covered for Cigna employees.
Prices, Pills and Federal Programs Are Reshaping the Calculus
Even as Cigna pulls back, cash prices for some GLP‑1 options are shifting. Eli Lilly’s launch materials show its new oral GLP‑1 pill Foundayo is being offered through LillyDirect with self‑pay starter pricing that begins at about $149 per month, according to Eli Lilly.
On the public side, a new federal effort is about to kick in. The Medicare GLP‑1 Bridge program will allow certain Medicare Part D beneficiaries to obtain select GLP‑1 medicines for a $50 monthly copay starting July 1, according to CMS.
Why Employers Are Scaling Back Coverage
GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs have become a budget headache for employers and health plans, which say the medicines are rapidly inflating costs and threatening to drive up premiums. Many large employers have already started pulling back.
Allina Health removed GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs from its employee medical plans, citing affordability concerns. In Massachusetts, the town of Wellesley issued a benefits notice excluding Wegovy, Zepbound and similar drugs as of July 1. Those moves echo the same cost arguments Cigna laid out internally.
What It Means for Workers
For Cigna employees, the immediate hit is financial. Paying cash for branded GLP‑1 drugs can be steep, and, as the employee materials note, those out‑of‑pocket payments will not count toward deductibles or out‑of‑pocket maximums.
There is also a medical wrinkle. Randomized withdrawal trials suggest stopping GLP‑1 treatment often leads to significant weight regain. The STEP‑4 trial, published in JAMA, found that participants who discontinued semaglutide regained much of the weight they had lost within a year.
Employees are being urged to talk with HR and their prescribers about options, including manufacturer assistance programs, alternative therapies and the risk of rebound weight gain if treatment is interrupted.
Cigna has repeatedly emphasized that the change affects only its internal employee health plan and that coverage for diabetes indications and client plans is not being altered. With new oral pills, drugmaker discount programs and the Medicare Bridge rolling out over the summer, insurers and employers will keep wrestling with where to draw the line between access and affordability for these blockbuster drugs.
