Walmart to cover Ozempic and Mounjaro at no cost for employees with Type 2 diabetes

Walmart said it will cover more than 250 prescription drugs at no cost to its employees starting in 2027, including Ozempic and Mounjaro for workers with Type 2 diabetes ^[1][2][3]. The company announced the plan on Oct. 13, 2026, during its annual enrollment season ^[1][3].

The list of free medications includes many generics plus some branded drugs, along with insulin and inhalers ^[1][2]. Walmart will offer Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, a semaglutide injection, and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection, at no charge to employees with Type 2 diabetes after a new prior authorization ^[1]. GLP-1s prescribed for weight loss are still not covered ^[1]. Other large employers similarly do not cover those treatments for obesity, or have recently dropped coverage to limit healthcare costs ^[1]. Walmart has not said whether any other GLP-1 medicines are on the free list; the announcement named only Ozempic and Mounjaro ^[1].

Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S., with roughly 2.1 million associates worldwide and about 1.6 million of them in the U.S. as of the end of fiscal year 2026 ^[1][3].

The company is raising rates for its starting plan by $1.50 per pay period, to $39.80 ^[1][3]. Walmart told CNBC that is a smaller increase than the one it made last year ^[1]. In a statement, the company said its steps "are based on years of planning and trying new things, which is allowing us to make meaningful improvements for associates without slashing benefits or significantly raising premiums" ^[1].

The company is expanding a benefit that pays for employees to see cancer specialists at the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic, according to a letter to workers from Donna Morris, Walmart's chief people officer ^[1]. Starting next year, employees under most plans can use the benefit for a second opinion on rare conditions such as ALS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease ^[1][3]. Walmart is also adding 12 weeks of neonatal intensive care unit leave for parents, which can be added on top of regular parental and maternity leave ^[1]. Walmart already offers 20 no-cost therapy sessions a year and up to $20,000 for fertility, adoption or surrogacy services ^[3].

Morris said in the memo: "We're adding even more ways to help you and your family live better through comprehensive and affordable healthcare and benefits" ^[3].

Why it matters for patients

This is one employer's benefit decision, not a change in insurance rules generally. For Walmart employees with Type 2 diabetes, Ozempic and Mounjaro would move from a possible out-of-pocket cost to no charge, but only after prior authorization, a review process whose criteria Walmart has not disclosed ^[1]. GLP-1s for weight loss remain excluded, meaning employees taking these drugs for obesity, without a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, would not get the new benefit ^[1].

Enrollment timing matters: Walmart's enrollment period runs through Nov. 6, 2026 ^[1][3]. The free-drug list applies in 2027 ^[1]. It has not been reported whether dependents are included in the no-cost drug coverage, nor what the prior authorization requires, such as whether a certain blood sugar level or a first trial of other diabetes medicines is needed.

What happens next

• Nov. 6, 2026: Walmart's annual enrollment period closes ^[1][3].
• 2027: Coverage of more than 250 prescriptions at no cost is set to begin ^[1][2][3].

The cost to Walmart of the added benefits has not been disclosed ^[1][3].