As GLP-1 drugs surge in popularity for managing obesity and cardiometabolic disorders, their high costs and overutilization present financial challenges for health plans and employers while exacerbating health inequities. The recent resolution of the tirzepatide shortage has eliminated low-cost options, leaving many patients unable to afford these life-changing therapies. Health plans are under increasing pressure, with costs skyrocketing and coverage policies tightening.

In this First Report Managed Care exclusive, Avalon’s Dr. Julie Schulz, MD, MPH, and Mike Dovidio, PharmD, explore how a data-driven approach, leveraging lab results such as HbA1C and lipid levels, could revolutionize benefit eligibility, ensuring the right patients receive these therapies while curbing unnecessary prescriptions.

Read more at First Report Managed Care.