CVS says GLP-1s save money when priced below $350 per month

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The analysis looked at patients who were newly taking highly popular GLP-1 medicines — which mimic the GLP-1 hormone and reduce appetite — from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, and compared them to simi…

CVS Health said employers and other health plan sponsors could break even on GLP-1 drugs if they are priced below $350 per month as reduced use of medical services, such as hospitalizations and emergency room visits, lower spending enough to offset drug costs.

CVS said that an analysis of its Aetna insurance claims data found that across patients with obesity, diabetes or other conditions, the current prices for GLP-1 drugs add to spending because they are too high to be impacted by lower medical costs.

The analysis looked at patients who were newly taking highly popular GLP-1 medicines — which mimic the GLP-1 hormone and reduce appetite — from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, and compared them to similar patients who were not taking the drugs.

The drugs included Mounjaro and Ozempic for diabetes and Zepbound and Wegovy for obesity. The analysis covered periods of up to three years, with patients starting the medicines between 2023 and 2025.

Coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity is falling as corporations and other health plan sponsors try to bring down premiums expected to be up by over 9% in 2027. About 14% of companies have already dropped or plan to drop the drugs in 2027.

Zepbound and Wegovy can cost about $299 and $349 for cash-pay customers. Employers and other health plan sponsors pay between $617 and $766 monthly for the drugs, according to a 2025 study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. CVS declined to comment on the average prices paid.

Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, chief medical officer at CVS Health, said that the drugmakers’ direct-to-consumer prices suggest they can still profit by charging less than $350 a month, while also helping to lower overall health care costs. The US pays more for health care than any other country.

“I hope that we can reach that price sooner rather than later,” she said in an interview ahead of the HLTH USA conference in Las Vegas, where CVS will present the findings on Sunday.

The US government agreed on a deal with Lilly and Novo…

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