Get the facts: It seems like everyone is taking a GLP-1. Do higher medication costs have any impact on monthly premiums?

• Spending on prescription drugs is a huge contributor to rising healthcare costs, and in turn, rising premiums, for two main reasons: more people are taking medications, and the price of those medications has increased significantly. 
• Some prescription medications have jaw-dropping price tags, and that can make it challenging for people to afford the medications they need, even when they have insurance.
• Thanks in large part to GLP-1s, overall prescription drug spending in the United States surged nearly 13% in 2025, one of the fastest growth rates in the past two decades.¹

Spending on prescription drugs is such a huge contributor to rising healthcare costs, and in turn, rising premiums, for two main reasons: more people are taking medications, and the price of those medications has increased significantly. 

• According to a 2026 Kaiser Family Foundation report, about two-thirds of Americans report taking at least one prescription medication.³ Back in 2000, only 44% did, according to CDC data.⁴
• From 2009 to 2018, the average retail price of brand-name prescription drugs more than doubled after adjusting for inflation.⁵ The average annual price of specialty drugs tripled over a 10-year period (2006-2015) from nearly $18,000 to more than $52,000.⁶
• GoodRx found that the cost of prescription medications in the U.S. increased 39% from 2014 to 2024, far surpassing the rate of inflation.⁷

Prescription medications can improve people’s health and quality of life, but some come with jaw-dropping price tags. And that can make it challenging for people to afford the medications they need, even when they have insurance.

• As an example, consider biologics and targeted immunomodulators that treat inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis. These medications typically cost between $70,000 and $120,000 annually.⁸ 
• Drugs used to treat cancer are even pricier. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s Launch Price and Access Report noted that the median list price for oncology drugs that hit the market in 2024 was $442,645.⁹

As expensive as those medications are, they were not the top drivers of higher prescription drug spending in 2025. That distinction goes to GLP-1s.¹  

With so many Americans eager to attain a healthier weight and GLP-1s, until recently, costing about $900 to $1,400 without insurance, these drugs have had an outsized impact on drug spending in recent years. And their popularity has surged even higher as new pill formulations have become available and consumers have had more opportunities to access the drugs at significantly lower costs, such as through employer-sponsored insurance or the Trump Rx discount drug site.

• The percentage of U.S. adults who take GLP-1 medications for weight loss purposes quadrupled from 2024 to 2026, reaching 11%.¹⁰  
• According to a 2026 report from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, total U.S. spending on GLP-1s in 2025 topped $132 billion, accounting for nearly one-third of total growth in prescription drug spending.¹

Thanks in large part to GLP-1s, overall prescription drug spending in the United States surged nearly 13% in 2025, one of the fastest growth rates in the past two decades.¹  And we’re on track for drug spending to reach a significant milestone in 2026, when it’s projected to top $1 trillion.¹

While the price of medications is out of your hands, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save money on the medications you and your family need. Check out this article for nine ways to save money at the pharmacy.

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