# Starbucks ends weight-loss drug cover for US employees 2026-08-10T05:48:09+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Starbucks will stop covering GLP-1 weight-loss drugs under its employee health plans from October, the coffee chain has confirmed to Business Insider. The medicines will still be available for diabetes and other conditions. The move reflects a sharp rise in employer spending on these drugs, which accounted for 11.4% of corporate health claims in 2025, up from 6.9% two years earlier. Average health-benefit costs per employee rose 6% last year and are expected to climb another 6.7% in 2025, with GLP-1 usage a key driver. Other large US employers, including Allina Health and PwC, have also cut weight-loss coverage. But some firms are bucking the trend: Bank of America spends over $250 million a year on the drugs, calling it an investment in employee health. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: employee benefits, GLP-1 drugs, Starbucks, US healthcare, weight loss Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/starbucks-ends-weight-loss-drug-cover-for-us-employees/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/starbucks-ends-weight-loss-drug-cover-for-us-employees/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.