Obesity Action Coalition presses PepsiCo and Starbucks to keep GLP-1 coverage

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a national nonprofit that advocates for people affected by obesity, launched a public campaign on September 2, 2026, calling on PepsiCo to reverse a reported decision to stop covering GLP-1 medications for obesity for some employees beginning in October.^[1]

According to the OAC, PepsiCo has said the change is needed to keep health care "sustainable and affordable for all employees." OAC President and CEO Joe Nadglowski disputed that framing, saying obesity is a chronic disease and that "its treatment should not be singled out for exclusion."^[1]

The group also pointed to a specific financial concern: employees losing coverage may be directed toward manufacturer self-pay programs, which OAC says can cost $300 to $500 a month out of pocket. OAC argues that price tag does not amount to meaningful access, since employer health plans typically cover a wide range of other medications at various costs.^[1]

OAC also highlighted what it calls a contradiction in PepsiCo's business strategy. The company is developing products aimed at people using GLP-1 drugs, including Propel Clear Protein, which PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta has said is targeted at GLP-1 medication users. OAC argues PepsiCo should not treat GLP-1 users as a consumer market worth pursuing while cutting their access to the medications themselves.^[1]

OAC is directing supporters to an online action page urging PepsiCo to keep obesity treatment coverage in place and framing the issue as one of equitable access to care for a chronic disease.^[1]

Other details reported elsewhere — including a similar campaign aimed at Starbucks, earlier coverage cuts by Cigna and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and a broader industry shift in which the share of large employers covering GLP-1s for weight loss fell from 72% to 60% — are not confirmed in the sources reviewed for this article, so those figures cannot be verified here.

Why it matters for patients

For employees who rely on employer-sponsored insurance to pay for GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy or Zepbound, a coverage change can be the difference between an affordable monthly cost and a bill of several hundred dollars a month, according to OAC's estimate of self-pay program pricing.^[1] People currently using these medications for obesity through a PepsiCo health plan may face that gap starting in October if the reported change takes effect.^[1]

The dispute also reflects a broader tension employers are navigating: GLP-1 drugs are expensive to cover at scale, but advocacy groups argue that treating obesity differently from other chronic conditions raises questions about fairness in benefit design.^[1] Workers affected by this kind of change may want to watch communications from their employer's HR or benefits department for specifics on effective dates and any transition options, since those details were not fully spelled out in the available reporting.

What happens next

OAC says it will continue its public campaign urging PepsiCo to reverse the coverage decision before the reported October start date.^[1] It is not yet known from available sources whether PepsiCo has responded publicly to OAC's request, whether the change will proceed as reported, or what options — if any — will be offered to affected employees.