Nearly half of people taking GLP-1 medications have never talked with a financial advisor about what the drugs cost them, according to a survey from the Nationwide Retirement Institute. InvestmentNews reported that 47% of GLP-1 users said they had never had that conversation, even as many are already adjusting their finances to pay for the prescriptions.
Nationwide released the findings on October 7, according to its announcement. The Harris Poll conducted the online survey from July 20 to August 4, 2026, with 1,933 U.S. adults, plus additional samples of 509 current GLP-1 users and 364 former users, according to Nationwide's survey materials.
The headline finding in Nationwide's release is that 51% of current users worry they may have to choose between paying for the medication and saving for retirement. Beyond worry, 54% of GLP-1 users said they have already changed their financial behavior to afford the drugs, according to the company.
InvestmentNews detailed some of those changes. In the survey, 17% of users said they have taken on debt, 14% said they have pulled money from savings, investments or retirement accounts, and 14% said they have cut their retirement contributions. Users whose insurance does not fully cover the medication pay an average of $203 a month out of pocket, the outlet reported.
The survey also points to a tension in how users think about the long run. InvestmentNews reported that 88% of current users said the drugs make them more optimistic about their long-term health, and 59% said the expected health benefits make them feel less urgency to raise their retirement savings.
Users do expect guidance on the subject. Nationwide said 59% of current GLP-1 users expect a financial professional to advise them on the financial impact of the medications. That sits alongside the 47% who have never raised it with an advisor.
Insurance coverage appears to be part of the picture. Insurance Business reported on the survey that 60% of employers now cover GLP-1s for diabetes only, up from 49% in 2023, while 36% cover them for both diabetes and weight loss. Among former users, 28% said they stopped because their coverage was reduced or eliminated, and 27% cited changes in their personal finances, according to that report.
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, according to its press release, also promotes a Health Care Cost Assessment tool. The company says the tool uses proprietary health risk analysis and updated actuarial cost data to help financial professionals estimate future medical and long-term care expenses.