Roughly half of the clients served by CVS Health’s pharmacy benefit manager cover GLP-1s, company leadership said May 6 on a quarterly earnings call.
CVS Caremark, CVS’ PBM, serves employers and healthcare payers more broadly. Executive Vice President and Group President Prem Shah, PharmD, oversees the company’s pharmacy, consumer wellness and healthcare delivery work. Dr. Shah said GLP-1s are among clients’ top challenges.
“If you think about GLP-1s right now, we were very deliberate last year in creating competition in this category and helping reduce costs for our clients. The affordability challenge is very real,” Dr. Shah said. “About half of our clients cover GLP-1s for weight loss. It’s an indication that our clients need more solutions and innovative solutions that PBMs bring to market for their customers. It’s a real reality that we face in driving that competition and bringing down cost.”
While GLP-1 coverage for diabetes remains consistent, many employers continue to face mounting pressure around weight-loss use cases. In a 2025 Mercer survey, over three-quarters of employers said managing GLP-1 costs is an extremely or very important concern.
Insurers have also struggled with increasing drug costs. Some payer leaders have speculated negotiations led by the federal government could pressure pharmaceutical manufacturers to lower GLP-1 costs across the industry. However, a recent pause to CMS’ GLP-1 model for Medicare may slow that process.
“Cost still remains the single biggest issue from a budget standpoint, whether it be the GLP-1s or the rising-cost specialty [pharmacy],” CVS Health CEO David Joyner said on the call. “[Clients] still want us to continue to drive costs down and actually improve the experience for the members.”
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
