GLP-1s and menopause benefits are here to stay — What it means for 2026 budgets

• Key Insight: Learn how GLP-1 and menopause therapies are shifting core benefits strategy.
• What's at Stake: Rising drug spend could threaten plan affordability and competitive total-rewards positioning.
• Supporting Data: 40% report shared coverage for weight-loss medications; 55% offer no expanded coverage.
• Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

As employers prepare their benefit rollouts for 2026, two accelerating trends in prescription drug utilization are poised to reshape financial planning and workforce health strategies: The soaring demand for GLP-1 therapies and the expanding market for menopause medications. 

Once niche treatments, GLP-1 drugs — originally developed for diabetes and now widely prescribed for weight management — have seen explosive growth in adoption rates, sparking intense discussion around cost, access, and long-term impact on health plan sustainability. 

At the same time, a new wave of menopause therapies is entering formularies, reflecting both greater patient advocacy and shifting demographics within the workforce. Together, these treatment categories present opportunities for better health outcomes, but also significant cost pressures for employers striving to balance benefits adequacy with budget discipline.

Read more: The ROI of supporting women through menopause

The implications of these trends extend beyond traditional pharmacy spend. Rising utilization of high-cost GLP-1 medications and newly approved menopause treatments will demand proactive benefit design, innovative cost-management tools, and targeted employee education to ensure equitable access without undermining overall plan affordability. 

For employers, understanding how these therapies drive utilization patterns, influence enrollment behaviors, and intersect with broader wellbeing initiatives will be critical in crafting competitive yet sustainable benefits packages. This exclusive research from Employee Benefit News seeks to illuminate the evolving landscape of employee health needs in 2026, offering insights into how benefit leaders can strategically respond to the dual challenge of supporting workforce health while reigning in escalating costs.

Part 1 of the research can be found here: Exclusive research: Benefit leaders face a pharmacy cost crisis in 2026

The EBN Pharmacy Management survey was fielded online during June and July, 2025 among 139 benefits professionals working at organizations with at least 50 employees. All respondents have responsibility or oversight into benefits and/or total rewards.

Weight loss support isn't easily accessible to employees

EBN's research shows that while many employers offer some form of weight loss or wellness support, coverage is uneven — and direct financial responsibility often falls to employees. Lower-cost, preventive benefits such as nutrition programs, digital fitness tools, gym access, and wellness activities are the most commonly offered, with roughly half of employers either fully or partially paying for these services. However, a meaningful share of respondents — often 25-40% depending on the benefit — say these offerings are not available at all through their employer, highlighting persistent gaps in foundational wellness support.

The most notable divide appears around clinical programs and weight loss medications, including GLP-1s. While 40% report shared employer-employee coverage for weight loss medications included in medical or pharmacy plans, only a small minority say their company pays in full. In contrast, 55% say coverage beyond standard plans is not available, underscoring how cautiously employers are approaching expanded drug coverage amid rising costs. Similarly, access to in-person or virtual clinical weight management programs is far from universal, with roughly one-third to nearly 40% saying these options aren't offered. 

Taken together, the data suggests employers are prioritizing scalable, lower-cost wellness tools while remaining hesitant to fully underwrite high-cost clinical and pharmaceutical interventions — an approach that will continue to shape benefit strategy and budget decisions as demand for GLP-1s grows.

Read more: How are companies affording GLP-1 coverage?

Menopause benefits are also an inconsistent offering

Meanwhile, menopause-related benefits remain inconsistently offered and rarely fully employer-funded, despite growing awareness of menopause as a workplace health issue, according to the exclusive research. Coverage for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) within standard medical or pharmacy plans is the most established benefit, with nearly six in 10 employers either fully or partially covering it, though only a small share pay the full cost. Beyond core plan coverage, however, access drops off sharply: 45% say expanded HRT coverage is not available, underscoring employers' caution around additional pharmaceutical spend.

Non-pharmacy menopause supports — such as nutrition programs, digital tools for symptom management, sleep improvement programs, and specialist care — are even more fragmented. Roughly one-third to nearly 40% of respondents report these services are not offered at all, while many others indicate costs are shared with employees or fully employee-paid. Support groups and in-person specialist access show particularly high levels of unavailability, signaling that menopause care is still treated as an optional or ancillary benefit rather than a core offering. 

Employers are in an early adoption phase: Acknowledging menopause-related needs but stopping short of comprehensive, employer-funded solutions — an approach that may evolve as workforce demographics and expectations continue to shift into 2026.

EBN's research signals a clear shift in how benefit leaders view both weight-loss and menopause-related offerings — not as short-lived perks, but as durable components of future benefits strategy. A strong majority of respondents say health coaching and GLP-1 coverage for weight loss are "here to stay," reinforcing the idea that demand for metabolic health support is structural rather than cyclical. 

Menopause benefits follow a similar trajectory, with two-thirds of benefit managers expecting these offerings to have lasting relevance. While questions around cost, coverage design, and equitable access remain, the perception data suggests these benefits have crossed a critical threshold: They are no longer experimental. For employers planning 2026 budgets and beyond, the challenge will be shifting from if to invest in these areas to how to sustainably integrate them into long-term benefit models.