Insurance companies face a growing challenge as they adapt to the rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, which have proven effective in managing weight and improving obesity-related health conditions.
Swiss Re, a provider of reinsurance and insurance solutions, highlights the importance of insurers integrating these treatments into their risk assessments and offering ongoing support to policyholders.
While the short-term benefits of GLP-1 medications are clear, the long-term success of these treatments depends not only on the medication itself but also on the behavioural changes of policyholders.
To ensure these medications deliver sustained health outcomes, insurers must consider both the direct effects of the drugs and the role of lifestyle modifications in maintaining weight loss and improving overall health.
Swiss Re emphasises that a key concern for insurers is the potential for weight regain once the medication is discontinued. Research shows that up to two-thirds of lost weight could be regained, especially among those who do not make lasting changes to their nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits.
Additionally, GLP-1 drugs have been linked to a loss of muscle mass and bone density, which can further complicate health outcomes.
For insurers, this means that managing risk in the era of GLP-1 medications requires a more holistic approach—one that incorporates the importance of behavioural science and lifestyle changes. Insurers must look beyond the drugs themselves and consider how they can support policyholders in adopting and maintaining healthier behaviours in the long term.
Incorporating behavioural science into underwriting and policyholder support is key to improving health outcomes. Swiss Re stresses that the long-term success of GLP-1 treatments depends on overcoming psychological barriers such as low self-efficacy, where individuals lack confidence in their ability to make lasting changes, and the intention-action gap, where motivation fails to translate into consistent behaviour.
Swiss Re notes that insurers need to address these behavioural challenges by creating supportive frameworks that not only assess risk more accurately but also guide policyholders toward maintaining healthier lifestyles once they begin treatment.
To help insurers navigate these complexities, Swiss Re has updated its Life Guide underwriting manual in March 2025, providing guidance on how to assess the risks associated with GLP-1 medications. One of the primary challenges insurers face is ensuring they ask the right questions during the underwriting process to gain an accurate picture of a policyholder’s health, including their use of GLP-1 drugs.
Swiss Re advocates for applying behavioural science techniques to improve the accuracy of responses and encourage policyholders to disclose sensitive health information. By refining question design—such as introducing clearer, more specific questions and expanding response options—insurers can gain deeper insights into a policyholder’s behaviours and health risks.
Swiss Re’s research, drawn from over 200 behavioural science experiments, has identified several methods that can improve disclosure rates.
For example, adding anchors to questions about weight change or using broader response options, rather than binary yes/no choices, can help insurers obtain more accurate information.
Additionally, Swiss Re highlights the importance of creating a sense of anonymity during the application process, as this can encourage more honest and detailed disclosures. These strategies are vital to ensuring insurers can accurately assess risk in the era of GLP-1 treatments.
In addition to improving underwriting processes, insurers can enhance their health and wellbeing (H&W) programmes by incorporating behavioural science.
Tailored support programmes that focus on long-term lifestyle changes—such as physical activity, nutrition, and sleep—are more likely to be effective in helping policyholders maintain health improvements. Swiss Re’s research indicates that providing personalised guidance, such as targeted education and counselling, can significantly boost policyholder engagement in healthy behaviours.
Insurers could also consider implementing strategies like “future self” visualisation, which has been shown to encourage better decision-making and long-term behaviour change.
Moreover, insurers can leverage the power of implementation intentions, or “if-then” plans, to support policyholders in achieving their health goals. By incorporating these strategies into their health and wellbeing programmes, insurers can help policyholders not only improve their health during GLP-1 treatment but also sustain those improvements after discontinuation of the drug.
