Global Utilization Patterns and Reimbursement Policies of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide, imposing major health and economic burdens. Traditional anti-obesity drugs show limited efficacy, whereas glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) provide significant weight loss benefits. Yet, reimbursement policies differ widely across countries. We reviewed PubMed, Google Scholar, policy documents, clinical guidelines, and health technology assessments using keywords such as “GLP-1 receptor agonist”, “semaglutide”, “anti-obesity medication”, “reimbursement”, and geographic terms (“United States”, “Europe”, “Japan”, “China”, “Korea”). In the U.S., GLP- 1 RAs are reimbursed for type 2 diabetes but excluded for obesity by Medicare, with only some Medicaid and private plans allowing restricted coverage. The UK and France reimburse under strict body mass index and comorbidity criteria, while Germany and Australia deny reimbursement due to legal or cost-effectiveness concerns. Japan recently approved limited reimbursement for severe obesity. In Korea, semaglutide (Wegovy®) was approved in 2023 but remains non-reimbursed; despite high out-of-pocket costs, prescriptions are rising, though discontinuation is frequent due to financial burden. GLP-1 RAs represent a paradigm shift in obesity care, yet there is no consensus on reimbursement for this new class of weight-loss drugs. In Korea, a broader policy debate is needed to balance cost-effectiveness, equity, and public health.