New Hormones Study Findings Have Been Reported by Researchers at University of Michigan (Understanding Insurance Coverage Policies for Incretin Mimetics for Weight Management): Drugs and Therapies – Hormones

2025 AUG 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Drugs and Therapies - Hormones. According to news originating from Ann Arbor, Michigan, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Given the wide variation in insurance coverage for incretin mimetics for weight management (IMWM) in the US, we aimed to understand (1) coverage policies for IMWM and influencing factors, (2) coverage policies for other weight management treatments, and (3) opportunities to support weight management while constraining health care costs. Qualitative study. Participants were leaders and high-level employees from large health insurance organizations in the US.”

Financial support for this research came from Pilot and Feasibility Grant from the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [NIH/NIDDK]).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Michigan, “Ouraim was to survey 20 participants, 10 from organizations that covered IMWM and 10 that excluded coverage for IMWM. Participants completed a 30-minute interview. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using directed content analysis. Twenty individuals completed an interview; 9 interviewees were from organizations that covered IMWM at the time of the study, and 11 were from organizations that excluded coverage for IMWM. We identified 5 key themes: (1) high cost as the primary barrier to coverage of IMWM, (2) perception of obesity as a lifestyle choice, (3) current or planned use of varied utilization management strategies to limit initial and ongoing prescribing of IMWM, (4) coverage for lifestyle-change programs to support weight management, and (5) perceived responsibility of pharmaceutical companies to lower list prices for IMWM to enable broad coverage and advance health equity. High cost of IMWM is the primary limiting factor in coverage policies. There is variability in plan design, with utilization management strategies that aim to reduce near-term spending.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Health plan leaders call on pharmaceutical companies to reduce list prices to increase equitable access to IMWM.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Understanding Insurance Coverage Policies for Incretin Mimetics for Weight Management. American Journal of Managed Care, 2025;31(7):342-349. American Journal of Managed Care can be contacted at: Managed Care & Healthcare Communications Llc, 666 Plainsboro Rd, Ste 300, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Dina H. Griauzde, University of Michigan, Medicine School, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States. Additional authors for this research include Eli W. Carter, Andrew Kraftson, A. Mark Fendrick, Lauren Oshman, Jonathan Gabison and Stephen Lott.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2025.89685. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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