Colorado restores GLP-1 weight-loss coverage for state employees

Colorado's health plans for state employees started covering GLP-1 medications for weight loss again on May 1, 2026, ending a period when only some existing users could keep their prescriptions filled ^[1][2]. The state is running the new coverage through what it calls the GLP-1 Benefit 360 Program ^[1].

Under the change, "Employees who meet the plan criteria and have a valid prescription will have coverage for GLP-1s for weight loss after May 1, 2026," the state's human resources department says in its FAQ ^[1][2]. That applies to workers who were not already taking one of these drugs, not just to people already on them ^[2].

What the new coverage looks like

The rules differ by carrier. Members on the Cigna plan have access to Zepbound (tirzepatide) for weight-loss indications, "unless there is a medical necessity for another drug" ^[1][2]. If a Cigna member has a medical condition or allergy that makes Zepbound impossible to take, the state says they can work with the pharmacy benefit manager, MedImpact, to get another weight-loss medication ^[1][2].

Members on the Kaiser Permanente plan go through Kaiser's own pre-authorization process and "will have access to all medically-appropriate GLP-1s for weight loss and doses," working with their provider ^[1][2].

The state's FAQ refers to a $120 copay for these drugs ^[1][2]. For employees enrolled in the high-deductible health plan, the annual deductible has to be met first: "Under the HDHP plan, all non-preventive medicines are first subject to deductible then applicable copay," the state says ^[1][2]. Colorado also notes that manufacturer coupon programs may lower out-of-pocket costs, while stressing that the state does not manage those programs and "has no influence over them" ^[1][2].

The 120-day grandfathering rule is gone

Before this change, employees who kept coverage had to keep filling a prescription at least once every 120 days to stay grandfathered in. The state confirms that requirement is over: "The grandfathering provision terminated on May 1, 2026. All employees are covered for GLP-1s for weight loss" ^[1][2]. The sources do not spell out the exact date or terms of the earlier coverage cut, so the timing of that earlier decision is not documented here.

Cigna members who were affected by the switch — specifically, people taking a GLP-1 for weight loss other than Zepbound — "should have received a letter from MedImpact in April 2026," the state says, and can call MedImpact at 1-888-783-1774 if they did not ^[1][2].

Coverage for GLP-1s prescribed for other conditions is unchanged. "This change only impacts GLP-1s for weight loss," the FAQ states. "Coverage for GLP-1s for conditions other than weight loss, such as diabetes, will continue" — the state gives Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) for diabetes as examples ^[1][2].

Why it matters for patients

For Colorado state workers and their families, the practical effect is that a weight-loss GLP-1 can once again be billed to the plan, subject to plan criteria and a prescription ^[1][2]. But the coverage is narrower than "any GLP-1." On the Cigna side, Zepbound is the covered option, so someone using a different weight-loss drug may face a switch or an exception request through MedImpact ^[1][2]. Kaiser members face a pre-authorization step instead ^[1][2].

Cost still depends on plan design. A $120 copay is the figure the state cites, and HDHP enrollees pay the full negotiated cost until their deductible is met ^[1][2]. The sources do not say how many employees are affected, what the plan criteria are in detail, or what the program costs the state.

Colorado frames the move as expanding coverage "in a fiscally responsible manner" and points to non-drug options it also offers, including the STATE OF HEALTH wellness program, the Omada Diabetes Prevention Program, Cigna's Active&Fit and Foodsmart nutritional counseling, and Kaiser fitness and healthy lifestyle programs ^[1][2].

What happens next

The state lists two help lines for questions: Kaiser Permanente Co-Pilot at (888) 413-0591 for Kaiser members, and MedImpact at (888) 783-1774 for Cigna members and Benefit 360 questions ^[1][2]. General questions go to an agency benefits administrator ^[1][2]. No further coverage changes or review dates are announced in the state's materials.