By
- Brad Devereaux | bdeverea@mlive.com
The weight loss drugs available to Kalamazoo County employees may be life changing, but the county’s cost has ballooned to an unsustainable amount, according to some county leaders
The $1.5 million cost of covering GLP-1 medication for county employees has eaten up about 20% of Kalamazoo County’s annual expenditure for prescription drugs, prompting a discussion about alternatives at the Tuesday, July 21, Board of Commissioners meeting
The discussion centered on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic being prescribed specifically for weight loss. Human Reg she’s working to finalize the 2027 employee healthcare plan
The popular drugs are helping people lose weight, but they’re also expensive, Brown said
About 115 people on the county employee healthcare plan were taking the drugs in 2023, costing $625,000, she said
The yearly county expenditure increased to over $1.5 million
Brown did not say how many employees are taking the drugs today, but gave an information sheet to commissioners. MLive has requested the report
She clarified the discussion was about GLP-1 drugs prescribed for obesity only, noting the drugs can also be used to treat different conditions
“It’s well worth the money,” Commissioner Dale DeLeeuw said, mentioning people might have to get on other drugs if they don’t take weight loss medication
Officials noted how some employees call the drugs “life changing.”
Vice Chair John Taylor said he believes the county needs to come up with a change to supplement the cost. He said some people are using the drugs for cosmetic reasons
A survey of county employees showed 45% wanted the county to continue covering GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss, while 32% of employees disagreed. The other 23% didn’t have an opinion
The county employs about 1,200 people
Taylor said he wants to be sure the county can give a cost-of-living pay increase. An increase in healthcare costs could make that a challenge, he said
“This is $1.5 million a year and it’s going up 15%, 20% and we’re the only ones that do it. That’s like three red flags,” he said
Hiring 10 nutritionists or giving everybody a bike would be cheaper, for example, he said. Commissioners discussed gym memberships or wellness plans as possible alternatives
“It’s hard to fathom and comprehend that 20% of all of our prescription costs are going toward one prescription,” Taylor said
Brown said she planned to bring a resolution back to the board at a later date. Taylor said he would like to see alternatives that the county could offer to employees as a replacement for the benefit
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