Thanks to months of applied pressure by the union members who sit on the Joint Health Care Committee (JHCC) regarding weight loss medication coverage, the state announced a program that will offer discounted GLP1s for weight loss. Please note, the state will continue its coverage for GLP1s for diabetics with no changes.
The program will be available through Virta, the state’s weight loss vendor, and will offer a 50 percent cost reduction per month for approved GLP1s. Additionally, the state will also reimburse up to 2,500 employees $200 per month to cover the cost of GLP1s for eligible and approved weight loss. Participation in the Virta Sustainable Weight Loss Program is required to receive the GLP1 monthly medication discount and monthly subsidy reimbursement and is only available to employees. Please note, at this time, only spouses who are also state employees will be eligible for the discount and reimbursement subsidy. A previous communication on the benefit incorrectly indicated that spouses will also be eligible. Spouses are ONLY eligible, at this time, if they, too, are employed by the State of Ohio.
Get more information on the program and enrollment HERE.
"The medical savings from these new drugs promise to be significant, however the financial savings are likely not to be realized for ten years or more," said Marianne Steger, OCSEA's health care consultant for the JHCC union team. The JHCC union team sees GLP1 coverage as an investment in its members' future health and cost savings that will aid health care funds for generations to come.
Additionally, the JHCC continues to look at a number of potential cost savings measures that could help bend the health care cost curve currently impacting employees. The JHCC meets regularly to address the concerns impacting the health care fund.