Walmart to cover some GLP-1s, inhalers and insulin for employees at no cost as it expands benefits

Walmart plans to cover more than 250 prescriptions, including some insulin, inhalers and GLP-1s for diabetes, at no cost to its employees in 2027, the company confirmed to CNBC on Tuesday. The retailer is also expanding existing benefits and adding new ones to attract and retain workers at a time when many other employers are offsetting rising healthcare costs with higher prices and scaled-back plan benefits. The announcement comes weeks before open enrollment for Walmart employees closes on Nov. 6. Walmart, the biggest private employer in the U.S., will offer Novo's diabetes injection Ozempic and Eli Lilly's rival shot Mounjaro without charge for people with Type 2 diabetes after a new prior authorization.