Alight Introduces GLP-1 HRA Solution to Help Employers Manage Access, Affordability and Cost

Alight (ALIT) introduced a health reimbursement account that lets employers provide financial support for employees’ eligible GLP-1 medication expenses.

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Employer-funded reimbursement model gives organizations more control over eligibility, contributions and plan design

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alight, Inc. (NYSE: ALIT), a leading benefits administration provider of health, wealth and leave solutions, today announced a new health reimbursement account (HRA) that helps employers offer financial support to their employees for eligible GLP-1 medications, while enabling more control over program costs and design.

The Alight GLP-1 HRA gives employers another way to support employees as they incorporate GLP-1 medications into their broader health and benefits strategies. Powered by Alight Smart-Choice Accounts, the HRA solution enables employers to reimburse employees for GLP-1 medication expenses, with a flexible design that can operate alongside HSA/HDHPs in proper compliance with relevant IRS rules.

For employers, rising GLP-1 utilization is creating new pressure to manage healthcare benefits affordability and cost. Alight’s analysis across its Navigation book of business show GLP-1 drugs made up 42% of prescriptions reviewed for members, up from 32% in 2024. Among those reviews, 16% had a lower-cost option available, delivering an average annual savings of $2,790 per GLP-1 drug when a lower-cost alternative was identified.

“Employers are looking for practical ways to respond to growing demand for GLP-1 medications while balancing access, affordability and cost management” said Karen Frost, Senior Vice President, Health and Navigation Solution Leader at Alight. “Our solution provides the infrastructure, flexibility and insights to define the support employers want to provide, set clear guardrails and give employees a simpler path to eligible reimbursement.”

With Alight’s GLP-1 HRA solution, employers can:

• Establish participant eligibility and eligible expense rules
• Set monthly or annual reimbursement limits and choose flexible funding and rollover options
• Select funding approaches, including utilization-based and pay-as-you-go models
• Monitor claims, utilization and employer-funded spending through real-time reporting
• Provide employees with a seamless digital experience for submitting and managing eligible expenses

Organizations can use the GLP-1 HRA on its own as a defined-contribution strategy or as part of a broader approach to weight management and GLP-1 access, allowing employers to shape a program around their workforce population’s needs, current coverage approach, financial goals and administrative needs.

Learn more about the Alight GLP-1 HRA and other strategies to manage GLP-1s.

About Alight Solutions

Alight is a leading benefits administration provider of health, wealth, leave and point solutions for many of the world's largest organizations and over 30 million people. Through the administration of employee benefits, Alight helps clients gain a benefits advantage while building a healthy and financially secure workforce by unifying the benefits ecosystem across health, wealth, wellbeing, absence management and navigation. Our Alight Worklife® platform empowers employers to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce and engage them throughout life's most important moments with personalized benefits management and data-driven insights, leading to increased employee wellbeing, engagement and productivity. Learn more at alight.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261013398577/en/

Media Contact
Jenna Parker
mediarelations@alight.com

Source: Alight Solutions

Key Terms

health reimbursement account financial

A health reimbursement account (HRA) is an employer-funded plan that pays or reimburses an employee for qualified medical expenses and, sometimes, health insurance premiums under rules set by the employer and the tax authorities. Employers deposit money into the HRA (employees generally do not contribute), approve eligible expenses based on the plan document and IRS guidance, and provide reimbursements tax-free; unused balances may be carried over, limited, or forfeited according to the employer’s plan terms. The HRA is not owned by the employee in the same way as an individually held account (for example, an HSA), so rights to the balance, portability and permitted expenses depend on the employer’s plan and applicable regulations.

glp-1 medical

GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a natural hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar levels and appetite. Its significance to investors lies in its role as the basis for a class of medications that address conditions like type 2 diabetes and obesity, which are large and growing markets. Advances or investments in GLP-1-based treatments can signal opportunities in healthcare innovation and potentially impact pharmaceutical companies’ growth.

hsa/hdhp financial

HSA/HDHP denotes a paired arrangement where an individual holds a Health Savings Account (HSA) together with a High‑Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). An HDHP is a medical insurance plan that meets IRS rules for minimum deductible and maximum out‑of‑pocket limits; only enrollees in an HDHP are eligible to open and contribute to an HSA. An HSA is a tax‑advantaged, individually owned savings account that accepts pre‑tax or tax‑deductible contributions, grows tax‑free, and permits tax‑free withdrawals to pay or be reimbursed for qualified medical expenses; non‑qualified withdrawals are taxed and may incur a penalty if taken before age 65, and annual contribution limits and qualified expense rules are set by tax authorities.