Ozempic may still be flying high in America, but not in American Airlines’ employee health plan.
American Airlines Cuts Ozempic From Flight Attendant Healthcare Coverage
Starting January 1, 2026, American Airlines flight attendants will lose insurance coverage for popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, unless they have a formal diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. The change was quietly disclosed in an October 17 notice from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) outlining updates to next year’s benefit plans.
According to the union, the company’s insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, will restrict coverage for these drugs to diabetic use only. For flight attendants using GLP-1s for weight management, an increasingly common prescription in recent years, the out-of-pocket cost could soar to over $1,000 per month. The APFA says it was not consulted in advance about the change and has already requested meetings with management to discuss alternatives or exceptions for medically supervised weight-loss programs.
The company has chosen to bypass these alternatives and pursue outright exclusion for all employees, even with the growing recognition of obesity as a chronic disease.
This decision was made unilaterally by American Airlines. This change reduces the value of your healthcare coverage and strips treatment options Members rely on for prevention and quality of life. Your Union will continue to fight to have these medications covered for weight management.
We are urging all affected Members and those who stand in solidarity to contact company representatives directly. Voice your concerns about this decision. Share how this change impacts you, your family, or your ability to manage your health. Every message matters.
Rising Costs, Shrinking Coverage
Like many employers, American faces skyrocketing costs from GLP-1 prescriptions, which have become the fastest-growing category in U.S. healthcare spending. Industry analysts estimate that each covered employee using a GLP-1 adds between $6,000 and $13,000 per year to a corporate insurance plan. Some companies have sought to negotiate rebates or cap coverage at specific body-mass-index thresholds, but others—like American—are taking the simpler route of elimination.
Critics argue that restricting GLP-1s only to diabetics undermines the medical benefits of weight management, particularly in professions that demand physical endurance and frequent travel. Flight attendants have cited the long-term metabolic and cardiovascular improvements linked to GLP-1 therapy, as well as the drugs’ role in reducing fatigue and joint stress during long shifts on their feet.
The APFA has pledged to challenge the decision, warning that selective coverage could set a precedent affecting thousands of crew members. Union leaders say they will explore whether the move violates existing collective-bargaining agreements or ERISA benefit-continuity standards. Flight attendants have also been encouraged to write AA executives directly to express their dismay with this policy change.
Meanwhile, President Trump has vowed to reduce the price of Ozempic to around $150/month, though Dr. Mehmet Oz, his administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said no deal has been reached yet:
CONCLUSION
Healthcare costs are a legitimate concern for any employer, but this change underscores the growing tension between corporate cost control and employee wellness. GLP-1 drugs are no longer niche, they’re part of a modern health landscape that blurs the line between treatment and prevention. But while I’m not an Ozempic expert, the cost is currently staggeringly high and the long-term results are unknown. It could be that flight attendants at AA may one day thank their company for being so cheap…
Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time
As they should ‘push back.’ If you don’t fight for benefits and rights, you’ll lose them. These companies only care about profit, so if they can deny you, they will. Healthcare is a right. Diabetes, overweight, etc. is a health issue. Hope the crews get what they want. Wishing them the best.
I had “chronic obesity” . . . . and got on a diet. Hard core keto for 9.5 months helped he dump 100 pounds.
FA’s may have some trouble finding diet friendly foods with their constant travel, but it can be done. There is no need to cover this as a necessary medication.
Oof. Thought you were gonna pitch us on some MLM ‘weight-loss’ scam… Thankfully, you’re just like: “no carbs!”
Not everyone has the mettle to go hard-core keto and stick to it. It’s a tough gig. Wegovy switches off the “food noise”, and gives people space to recalibrate their eating & drinking habits while getting a psychological boost from watching the pounds drop. If you can do it on willpower, then more power to ya, but for a lot of folks they know they’re overweight, eating too much of the wrong things, and maybe boozing too much as well, yet they just can’t get out of the rut. Wegovy can give you a kick, and help get your act together. I’d even go so far to say that it’s worth paying for even if your insurance won’t cover it.
Well said, Pete. Folks tend to buy into the corporate propaganda that ‘weight’ issues are only a moral failing of the individual, absolving our food-industrial-complex of its purposeful scientific engineering of highly-addictive ultra-manufactured products designed to maximize their profits at the expense of our health. Interesting how organic vegetables and proteins are often more expensive than Doritos and Mountain Dew.
There has been a lot of misinformation as to these posts appearing in Boarding Area.
1. Removing Ozempic from health plans for diabetes does not seem the goal. Removing Wegovy does. They are essentially the same, both made by Novo, but branded differently. Ozempic for Diabetes and Wegovy for obesity.
2. Though Wegovy is an amazing weight loss drug I can see any American who is over 50, even slightly over an ideal weight, and on blood pressure meds and/or statins, taking this for added benefits in reducing cholesterol and blood pressure along with stunning reduction of heart attack and stroke risks. There are new studies as well showing it may reduce a risk of developing Alzheimers. That is the reason I am on it. I take a lower dose, lost a few pounds which is fine, but every doctor I have spoken to has said it is a miracle drug and the results with patients are dramatic. Another example as well, I suffer from classic Migraines and since being on Wegovy they have virtually vanished.
3. it is NOT over $1K a month. It used to be. It has dropped to around $475 a month when on a plan with RO or the like. Costco announced it will be selling it direct for around $500. That is out of pocket and no insurance or coupons. It is expected to drop even more next year.
4. A recent obesity study came out last week and surprise, for the first time in years the obesity rate did not go up and went slightly down. Experts are convinced that GLP-1’s are the reason. With more accessibility to them in the future they could essentially end obesity in America and raise life spans dramatically. Certainly quality of life for many.
Stop just thinking of it as a vanity drug for weight management. It is THE miracle drug of our generation. As to AA stopping it in their health plans…they may want to reconsider should their FA’s are over 50, have additional areas to address like blood pressure, cholesterol or are at a genetically higher risk of a heart attack.
I must disagree. It is indeed a miracle drug. But that does not exclude it being a vanity drug. In the fullness of time if expensive vanity drugs are insured, the cost of insurance will reflect that. Other members of the insurance pool should not be expected to subsidize vanity drugs.
I was not speaking of 35 year olds who want to lose 10lbs and could easily do that in the gym and with better nutrition. Yes, that is vanity. Not in the case of the examples I discussed.
Exactly! I use mounjaro for type ii diabetes, it is an amazing drug. Screw the self righteous haters. It is a wonder drug. Shame on AA
So are they bringing back weight requirements for FAs?
I used to weigh flight attendants in the 90’s for a major airline. We had some very sick bulimic people.
What costs more… providing this drug or treating a heart attack or stroke? Very short sighted
Good. That will help me obtain the medication I need as someone who takes Ozempic for Type 2 Diabetes. Let the fatties diet and exercise.
Not sure where you are seeing difficulty in obtaining Ozempic. The shortages ended long ago. Further, you are taking Ozempic, not Wegovy. These posts wrongly clump Wegovy into the separate Ozempic brand which is specifically for Diabetes. People seeking weight loss have nothing to do with Ozempic prescriptions.
A little footnote… The maker of Ozempic and Wegovy [both contain the same active ingredient (the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide)], Novo Nordisk, has announced it will cut 9000 jobs weeks after warning that profits will fall as more “knock-off” weight-loss drugs emerge.
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Quite aware. My point is that those who are prescribed Ozempic are specifically addressing type 2 Diabetes. While they are essentially the same (though Wegovy can go up a bit in dosage) they are prescribed and distributed for two different patients. Wegovy does not impede or cause any issues with shortages for Ozempic. They are considered separate now.
Yes, I saw the layoffs announced a few weeks ago. There is some restructuring going on for sure. As to competition, Wegovy though is the one that is clearly the winner in having additional health benefits. Mounjaro has not been FDA approved for heart benefits as an example.
I’m not an Ozempic expert either. As a humble physician, I simply want to emphasize the importance of raising awareness among individuals from a young age about preventing insidious type 2 diabetes, whether associated with obesity or not.
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