Lilly-funded study links Zepbound to lower healthcare costs in older adults

A new study funded by Eli Lilly found that adults over age 55 who took Zepbound (tirzepatide) for weight management had lower overall healthcare costs over time compared with similar untreated adults, driven partly by fewer hospital admissions and emergency room visits ^[1]. The study was published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism and is described as the first of its kind in this age group ^[1][2].

Researchers used claims data from Komodo's Healthcare Map, which includes de-identified records for more than 330 million people enrolled in U.S. health plans ^[1]. They studied 15,843 adults over 55, with an average age of 64.5, who had obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related complication and started Zepbound between November 2023 and September 2025 ^[1]. Each person was matched to a control with similar health characteristics who did not start a GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 medication ^[1].

At six months, treated patients had healthcare costs that were up to 15% lower, or about $181 less per patient per month, not counting the price of Zepbound itself ^[1][2]. By 12 months, the gap widened to an estimated $319 to $607 per patient per month, or up to 38% lower costs, depending on which of two statistical methods researchers used ^[1]. Throughout the study, Zepbound users had lower rates of hospital admissions and emergency department visits at every follow-up point, along with somewhat higher rates of routine outpatient and office visits, which Lilly says points to more regular engagement with care ^[1]. However, in the secondary pairwise analysis, those visit differences were not statistically significant ^[1].

The study excluded the cost of Zepbound itself because claims data don't capture its net price, so the reported savings reflect money that could offset the drug's cost rather than a full accounting of net cost impact ^[1]. Lilly said that starting at six months, the estimated savings nearly covered the $195 per-patient monthly cost of Medicare's GLP-1 Bridge program, and by 12 months the savings exceeded that cost ^[1][2].

Why it matters for patients

For people over 55 covered by Medicare's Bridge program, which launched July 1 and runs through the end of 2027, this study offers one data point in the ongoing debate over whether GLP-1 coverage is worth the cost to insurers and taxpayers ^[2]. Lilly is presenting the findings as evidence to support broader Medicare and employer coverage decisions ^[1][2]. But the study was funded and conducted by the drug's manufacturer, and it does not account for the actual net price patients or insurers pay for Zepbound, only for savings elsewhere in the healthcare system ^[1].

The timing is notable. A separate employer survey found that the share of employers covering GLP-1s for weight loss dropped to 60% in 2026, down from 72% in 2025, with employers citing high costs and questions about whether benefits are worth the price given how long it takes for effects to show up ^[2]. That suggests employers and patients may see conflicting signals: one study pointing to savings, and a broader market trend toward pulling back coverage.

It is not yet known how these findings would apply outside the study's specific population of adults over 55 with obesity-related complications, or whether the cost patterns would hold if broader Medicare coverage, rather than the temporary Bridge program, were put in place. The more complete Medicare coverage model for GLP-1s has been delayed indefinitely amid concerns from insurers ^[2].

What happens next

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program continues through the end of 2027, with both Lilly and Novo Nordisk participating ^[2]. Whether this study influences decisions on permanent Medicare coverage, state programs, or employer benefit design is not yet known.