More U.S. employers are covering GLP-1s for weight loss, according to a survey. Meanwhile, 25% of health-care VC dollars are going toward companies using AI.
GLP-1 drugs for weight loss also grew as a portion of employers' overall annual medical claims spending, making up nearly 9% in 2024 compared to roughly 7% the year prior., the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, which includes more than 33,000 member companies or public institutions. The survey was conducted in May on almost 300 employer health plans in the U.S.
Both weight loss and diabetes drugs skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. — while drawing increasing investor interest — for helping people achieve dramatic weight loss over time. They work by mimicking one or more hormones produced in the gut to suppress a person's appetite and regulate their blood sugar.
"This new survey data shows that in the last six months, GLP-1 coverage has increased for both weight loss and diabetes," Julie Stich, the vice president of content at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, said in a release. That includes certain eligibility rules, such as requiring employees to have a certain BMI, or body mass index, to receive coverage. It also includes"step therapy," which requires its members to try other lower-cost medications or means of losing weight before using a GLP-1.
One in every four health-care investment dollars are going toward companies that are using AI, and deal activity in AI for health care has grown twice as fast as AI deals in the tech industry as a whole, according to aThe report said that VCs invested $7.2 billion in health-care AI last year, and the figure is on track to reach $11.1 billion this year.
In other words, administrative work is a big problem for the health-care sector. VCs are particularly interested in it since it usually faces less regulatory oversight than clinical decision support tools or patient-facing solutions do, SVB's report said.
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