Deloitte cuts weight-loss GLP-1 coverage for US employees

By Nathan Brooks

Starting in January, Deloitte will stop covering GLP-1 medications prescribed solely for weight loss through U.S. medical plans for its “Core, Domain, and Enterprise professionals,” according to an internal benefits guide seen by Business Insider.

The same guide raises deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums under most health plans. Employees will face higher costs before coverage applies and higher cost sharing after it takes effect. The package narrows clinical eligibility while increasing employee cost sharing.

What changes for employees?

Deloitte will continue covering GLP-1 medication when prescribed for diabetes and other covered medical conditions. It will remove coverage for weight-loss use from the medical plans in January.

Employees seeking weight-loss support can use eMed, a virtual lifestyle program with coaching. Deloitte will contribute $125 per prescription toward that support. For HR teams, the adoption question is whether employees enroll in eMed and use its coaching once medical-plan coverage ends.

Deloitte’s internal benefits guide describes the changes as “reflect the hard trade-offs of today’s cost environment.” It also cites a need “for shared responsibility in a few specific places where it’s become untenable for Deloitte to carry the cost alone.” Those statements make cost sharing the stated basis for the narrower benefit.

What do weight-loss drugs cost?

List prices for common GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, generally exceed $1,000. Business Insider reported that direct-purchase programs such as LillyDirect and government plans such as TrumpRx can make the medicines significantly cheaper.

TrumpRx offers semaglutide injection pens under the Ozempic brand name for between $199 and $499. A Deloitte spokesperson said the company made select modifications where cost growth had become unsustainable. The spokesperson said its new support for weight-related GLP-1 use includes direct-from-manufacturer drug pricing.

For employees who still seek weight-loss treatment, the new channels include eMed coaching, a $125 contribution per prescription and direct-from-manufacturer drug pricing.

“Our financial commitment to our people and their families continues to grow,” the spokesperson said. The statement sits beside narrower weight-loss coverage, higher deductibles and a $125 contribution through eMed. The changes shift some expense to employees without ending all weight-loss support.

How widespread is the pressure?

KFF’s 2026 health benefits survey found that workers on family plans paid an average $7,471 in annual premiums, 9% more than they paid in 2025. Including employer contributions, family premiums totaled $28,303 in 2026, roughly 5% above 2025.

Aon, an insurance broker and employee-benefits consultancy, found GLP-1 use rose 75% in 2025. A second Aon finding said 39% of employers planned to reduce or restrict GLP-1 coverage in 2026. The drugs started as diabetes treatments but have become sought after for obesity and related chronic conditions.

Business Insider reported that restricting eligibility has become a common route for employers seeking to curb healthcare spending. PwC and Starbucks also pulled back weight-loss coverage in 2026. Deloitte’s move places it alongside a wider employer response to rising healthcare costs and broader demand for GLP-1 treatment.

Which other benefits are changing?

The health-plan guide applies to what Deloitte calls its “Core, Domain, and Enterprise professionals,” a group that includes most traditional client-facing accountants, consultants and technical specialists. The Big Four firm employs about 181,000 people in the US.

The internal guide also records selected expansions:

• Long-term disability: Deloitte will improve its protection.
• Vision: The firm will add free annual eye exams to its company-paid discount vision program.

A separate April Business Insider report covered staff in Deloitte’s Center talent model, which mostly includes internal-facing administrative roles. Effective January 1, 2027, Deloitte will reduce or eliminate the following for that group:

• Parental leave
• Annual paid time off
• IVF funding

These reductions sit within a broader benefits redesign rather than a uniform cut across every employee group.

What is the business context?

Revenue in Deloitte’s Americas division rose 3.2% in the financial year ending May 31, 2026, making it the company’s slowest-growing region globally that year. Revenue growth fell from 7.1% in the preceding year.

Deloitte does not connect the benefit changes directly to regional performance. It cites unsustainable healthcare cost growth and broader employer action instead. The coming year will test whether Deloitte can shift more weight-loss costs to employees while preserving the support it says is expanding.