American Airlines is axing Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs from its health care plan as part of a cost saving plan, angering the carrier’s flight attendant union which says the new policy is excluding crew members from vital health coverage.
From January 1, 2026, American Airlines will only cover GLP-1 medications for crew members who have Type 2 diabetes, while employees who have used drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro to manage their weight as a chronic health condition will no longer be covered.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) has blasted the Dallas-based airline over its “unilateral” decision, saying that it has raised “serious concerns” about the change.
Ozempic and Wegovy have been hailed as wonder drugs that could be behind a continued slump in US obesity rates. The latest data from the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) revealed that the number of US states with obesity rates of 35% or higher dropped from 23 in 2023 to 19 in 2024.
Belonging to a group of medications known as GLP-1 agonists “stimulate the pancreas to release insulin and suppress the release of another hormone called glucagon” which suppresses someones appetite.
Some studies suggest that taking GLP-1 drugs can result in an average weight loss of between 15% and 20%, but the high costs of these medications has proven a major barrier, with out-of-pocket costs hitting as much as $1,000 for just a one month’s supply.
In the United States, Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for the treatment of Type II diabetes so these will remain available on AA’s health care coverage, whereas their weight loss equviulants – Wegovy and Saxenda – will be completely excluded.
The flight attendant union pleaded with American Airlines to investigate reasonable alternatives to an out-right ban, suggesting copay caps or the use of cheaper generics, but these ideas were rejected the airline.
“This change reduces the value of your healthcare coverage and strips treatment options Members rely on for prevention and quality of life,” the union said in a recent internal memo.
“Your Union will continue to fight to have these medications covered for weight management,” the memo added.
Flight attendants may, however, get help from the Trump administration with the President demanding Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, to lower the monthly cost of its medications to as little as $150.
Trump has become increasingly angered with the fact that GLP-1 drugs are being sold in other countries, especially in Europe, at much lower prices than in the United States.
But in an awkward exchange during a White House presser last week, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, warned that lowering the prices of GLP-1 medications was not yet a done deal.
100% most employers are doing this. Glp1s are bankrupting companies bar none. These are making healthcare unaffordable.
Or, hear me out, we could use the power of the government to ensure that healthcare is affordable, and that such ‘medicines’ are available to those who need them… it seems like a ‘universal-ly’ accepted approach to ‘healthcare’ at least in other developed countries…
Insurance coverage for diabetes makes medical sense. Coverage for weight loss is an expensive lifestyle option. A monthly Ozempic supply is $499 without insurance. Not cheap but not prohibitively expense.
These drugs for weight loss are a revolving door of wasted cost. Look at the research on them. They cannot effectively be used forever and people gain back the weight as soon as they stop using them. Basically a waste of money. Many employers are excluding GLP1s for weight loss and for good reason, it is a fashion drug, not medically necessary. If you want, it pay for it, your employer should not be on the hook for it.
GIVE ME A BREAK! I agree with Albert, these drugs are “fashion drugs” and not medically necessary. Medical insurance should cover medically required items, like a heart stint rather than a face lift. Now, if the face lift is needed because of necessity, such as facial reconstruction or a “tummy tuck” because of medically needed weight loss surgery…different story.