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Fortune
Fortune
Bryan Sivak, Elina Onitskansky

The GLP-1 paradox: too expensive to cover, too effective to cut

glp (Credit: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The U.S. healthcare system is at a critical juncture with rising obesity and chronic disease coupled with skyrocketing GLP-1 costs. Three in four (76.4%) U.S. adults have at least one chronic condition, and over half (51.4%) have two or more.

At the same time, spending on GLP-1 treatments has surged by more than 500% between 2019 and 2024. Growth is expected to continue, especially with the introduction of the Bridge program, which offers GLP-1 access for obesity with comorbidities under Medicare and Medicaid. Experts predict the number of people in the U.S. using GLP-1s could reach 25 million by 2030 (rising from 10 million in 2025).

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