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County administrator proposes ending coverage for weight-loss drugs in 2026 to protect trust fund
Summary
County Administrator Hank Solowiej told commissioners the county’s health plan paid about $500,000 for weight-loss drugs in 2024 and proposed removing coverage for those medications starting Jan. 1, 2026, while continuing coverage for diabetes drugs such as Ozempic.
County Administrator Hank Solowiej told the Erie County Commissioners on March 5 that the county’s health insurance Trust Fund, now about $3 million, is being reduced in part by prescriptions for weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound.
Solowiej said the county spent roughly $500,000 on those medications in 2024 and that his outreach to comparable public and private employers found most do not cover them. He proposed removing coverage for weight-loss drugs from the county health plan effective Jan. 1, 2026, while continuing coverage for medications prescribed for diabetes, including Ozempic. The proposal, Solowiej said, would give employees advance notice before the policy change takes effect.
The administrator framed the move as a mid-year benefit change consideration to prevent further erosion of the Trust Fund balance. He did not present a finalized ordinance or resolution at the meeting; discussion of the proposal was informational and no formal vote occurred on March 5.
Commissioners did not take immediate action during the meeting. County staff will be expected to provide specific plan language and an implementation timeline before any change takes effect, including details on appeals, exceptions, or ongoing coverage for ongoing treatments.
