KFF 2026 Employer Survey: GLP-1 Coverage Numbers, Explained

KFF's 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, published October 22, 2026, found that 18% of employers with 200 or more workers cover GLP-1 drugs when used primarily for weight loss, about the same as in 2025 (19%) and 2024 (18%). Bigger employers cover them more often, many of those that cover them add requirements, and among large firms that don't cover them, very few plan to start. Below are the actual numbers, what each one measures, and what they mean if you're a worker trying to figure out your own plan.

What is the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey?

It's the long-running annual benchmark for job-based health insurance in the U.S.; 2026 is the 28th edition. The 2026 survey included 1,937 interviews with randomly selected non-federal public and private employers with 10 or more workers. Davis Research conducted the fieldwork from January to July 2026, and the overall response rate was 11%.

One detail matters for every GLP-1 number below: the GLP-1 questions went to firms with 200 or more workers that offer health benefits, about their largest plan. So these are employer-level answers, not "X% of Americans are covered."

How many employers cover GLP-1s for weight loss in 2026?

Firm size (workers)	Cover GLP-1s for weight loss, 2026
200–999	16%
1,000–4,999	29%
5,000 or more	33%
All firms with 200+	18% (19% in 2025; 18% in 2024)

What jumps out:

• Flat for three years. Despite a lot of headlines, the overall share hasn't moved in a statistically meaningful way.
• The biggest employers dipped, maybe. Coverage among 5,000+ worker firms was 33%, versus 43% last year. KFF describes the two as "similar," meaning the difference isn't statistically significant. So treat it as "worth watching," not "a trend."
• Smaller firms often don't know. 19% of firms with 200–999 workers said they didn't know whether their plan covers GLP-1s for weight loss, versus 8% of larger firms. If your HR team gives a vague answer, that may be why. Ask the plan directly.

What do employers require before covering GLP-1s?

Among firms that cover GLP-1s for weight loss, 40% require enrollees to meet with a dietitian, case manager or therapist, or join a lifestyle program, for the drug to be covered. That's similar to 34% last year.

Firm size	Require clinical or lifestyle support
200–999 workers	35%
5,000+ workers	59%

So at the biggest companies, coverage more often comes with a program attached. If that's you, our guide to plans that require a lifestyle program explains what to expect.

How much is GLP-1 coverage costing employers?

KFF asked covering firms how much GLP-1 coverage for weight loss has affected their prescription drug spending:

Impact on drug spending	Share of covering firms
Significant	29%
Moderate	27%
Minor	23%
No impact	10%
Don't know	11%

The "significant" share climbs with size: 21% of covering firms with 200–999 workers vs 61% of those with 5,000+. Smaller covering firms were far more likely to call the impact "minor" (30% vs 5%).

Why it matters for you: the bigger the employer, the more likely its benefits team is feeling the cost. That's where you're more likely to see new requirements or changes at renewal.

Are employers dropping GLP-1 coverage?

Two numbers answer this, both about firms with 200+ workers that don't currently cover GLP-1s for weight loss in their largest plan:

• 12% say they stopped covering them within the last 12 months.
• On starting coverage in the next 12 months: 1% very likely, 13% somewhat likely, 79% not likely, 7% don't know.

Put plainly: if your employer doesn't cover them now, it's unlikely to start next year. And some workers lost coverage this past year. If that's you, our first-7-days plan walks through what to do.

What else in the 2026 survey matters for GLP-1 users?

A few broader findings shape what you'll pay:

• Premiums: average annual premiums are $9,804 for single coverage and $28,303 for family coverage, each up 5%. Workers contribute on average $1,672 (single) and $7,471 (family).
• Deductibles: the average deductible for single coverage (among workers with one) is $1,955, and 88% of workers with single coverage have a general deductible.
• Drug cost-sharing: in plans with three or more tiers, the average copay for fourth-tier drugs is $136, and the average fourth-tier coinsurance is 30%.
• Self-funding: 71% of covered workers are in self-funded plans, where the employer pays claims directly and sets more of the rules.
• Direct-to-consumer prices: KFF notes that lower direct-to-consumer prices, plus the drugs' significant cost, may lead employers to keep adapting their coverage. It also notes these programs give employers new options, such as funding access through account contributions.

For how deductibles and coinsurance turn into real monthly bills, see covered vs affordable.

How to read these numbers without over-reading them

• Every percentage has a denominator. "40%" means 40% of covering firms, not of all firms. "12%" means 12% of non-covering firms.
• These are firms, not people. A 5,000-worker company and a 250-worker company each count as one firm in a share like "18%," though KFF weights results to represent employers.
• "Similar" means not statistically different. KFF uses a 0.05 significance threshold, so a 33% vs 43% gap can still be "similar."
• Your plan is the only one that decides your coverage. The survey explains the landscape; your Summary of Benefits and Coverage and formulary explain your bill.

What this means for workers

If you work for a large employer, the odds of coverage are better, but so are the odds of conditions attached. If you work for a mid-sized employer, coverage is less common, and HR may not know offhand, so go straight to the plan's formulary and policy. Either way, the time to check is before open enrollment closes; our 2027 open-enrollment question list is built for that. For the structural "why," read why employer coverage varies.

Common questions

What percentage of employers cover GLP-1s for weight loss in 2026?

KFF found 18% of firms with 200 or more workers cover GLP-1s for weight loss in their largest plan, ranging from 16% at firms with 200–999 workers to 33% at firms with 5,000 or more.

Did employer GLP-1 coverage go down in 2026?

Overall, it was about flat: 18% in 2026, 19% in 2025 and 18% in 2024. Among non-covering large firms, 12% said they stopped covering these drugs for weight loss within the last 12 months.

Does the KFF survey include small businesses?

The survey covers employers with 10 or more workers, but the GLP-1 weight-loss questions were asked of firms with 200 or more workers.

When was the KFF 2026 survey released?

KFF published the 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey on October 22, 2026.