The number of commercially insured Massachusetts residents whose health plans paid for a GLP-1 drug for weight loss dropped by an estimated 112,000 in the first quarter of 2026, a 52% decline from 2025, according to data previewed Sept. 17 by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. The drop followed decisions by several of the state's largest insurers to stop routinely covering drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound for obesity.
The report counts insurance claims, not patient outcomes. It does not show how many of those residents stopped treatment, switched to paying cash, moved to cheaper compounded versions, or regained weight after losing access.
