Taxing LI: Popular weight-loss drugs help drive up health insurance costs, experts say

The prices are going up and you get less benefits. Paying for health insurance through your job just got more taxing. A recent survey by KFF found workers are spending 9% more this year on employer-sponsored health benefit premiums. It's tough for everyone. Companies say the cost increase is because of prescription drug prices. Prevalence of chronic diseases and higher utilization of health services. And there's one treatment for weight loss that has recently become so popular, experts say it's contributing to more bloated health care costs. We have incredible new treatments, such as GLP-1s, new treatments for cancer. All of these things have the radical ability to change people's lives, but at the same time, they're very expensive. If rising health benefit premiums are making you feel woozy, There are some ways to remedy that. If you know you're going to use a lot of services, you may want to pick a plan with a higher premium that has lower cost sharing throughout the year. If you aren't expecting a lot of spending, you may want to pick a plan with a lower premium and bear more risk yourself. But if you take on that risk with a high deductible, know that you could be on the hook for large out-of-pocket payments. For Taxing Long Island, Kevin Vesey, News 12.