Workspan Daily News Bytes for Aug. 8, 2025

Many Are Unclear Whether Their Health Plan Covers GLP-1s

A study released July 31 by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that among private health plan enrollees, most do not know if their plan covers weight-loss medications, but they think it should.

One such medication receiving significant attention lately is glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This is due to the drug class’ effectiveness in managing blood sugar and promoting weight loss, with additional cardiovascular benefits in some individuals.

According to the results of the Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, done in conjunction with Greenwald Research, one-half of private health plan enrollees are unsure whether their plan provides coverage for GLP-1s. Just over one-quarter (28%) reported their plan covers GLP-1s, while one-fifth said it does not.

However, 64% of survey participants felt health plans, in general, should cover these medications, compared to 12% who said they should not (25% were unsure).

U.S. Job Cuts Spiked in July; YTD Pace Far Exceeds 2024

U.S.-based employers announced 62,075 job cuts in July, up 29% from June’s 47,999 and up a whopping 140% from July 2024 (25,885 cuts), according to a report released Jan. 31 by Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The outplacement and business/executive coaching firm said that, so far in 2025, employers have enacted 806,383 job cuts, the highest January-through-July total since 2020, when 1,847,696 were announced. The 2025 figure is 75% higher than the 460,530 job cuts announced through the first seven months of last year and 6% higher than the 2024 full-year total of 761,358.

“We are seeing the federal budget cuts implemented by [the Department of Government Efficiency] impact non-profits and healthcare in addition to the government. [Artificial intelligence] was cited for over 10,000 cuts last month, and tariff concerns have impacted nearly 6,000 jobs this year,” Andrew Challenger, the firm’s senior vice president and labor expert, stated in a press release for the report.

Report: 39 Million in U.S. Enrolled in HSA-Eligible Health Plans

A survey report released July 28 by AHIP, a trade association representing the U.S. health insurance industry, found a growing number of Americans are choosing to enroll in health savings account (HSA)-eligible health plans.

Key findings from the comprehensive research include:

As of Jan. 1, 2024, 38.8 million people were enrolled in HSA-eligible health plans, an increase from 32.1 million in 2019. They accounted for 17.9% of total commercial health plan enrollment (including group health plans and individual health insurance), compared to 15% in 2019.
Large-group coverage (policies offered by employers with 50 or more employees) accounted for the majority of HSA-eligible health plan enrollment. As of Jan. 1, 2024, 90% of HSA-eligible health plan enrollees were in the large-group market.
HSAs are a leading option for young working families to manage their healthcare expenses and provide peace of mind. As such, 36% of HSA-eligible health plan enrollees were 25 to 44 years old, compared to 32% of all commercial enrollees.

Career Development Is Key to Reduce Burnout, Disengagement

The fifth annual Career Optimism Index study from the University of Phoenix Career Institute revealed American workers are facing a crisis of autonomy. Nearly a quarter (21%) of surveyed workers said their sense of control over their professional future has gotten worse over the past five years, contributing to 51% feeling burned out — a record high for the study.

The study identified a link between restoring workers’ sense of autonomy and decreasing burnout: Workers who lack control over the future of their careers are 56% more likely to experience burnout than those who do feel in control (70% versus 45%).

According to the research, an effective way employers can restore workers’ sense of control is to focus on career development opportunities within the workplace, since:

Workers are 52% more likely to experience burnout when they feel they aren’t progressing in their careers at the right pace (67% versus 44%).
Workers are less likely to feel disengaged (43% versus 52%) and are significantly more motivated (+38 points) and adaptable (+14 points) in their careers if they feel their current job provides them with opportunities for career development.

34% of British Workers Pass on Using Their Health Benefits

Data published Monday, Aug. 4, by Simplyhealth, a United Kingdom-based healthcare services and plan provider, revealed 34% of British workers aren’t using their workplace health benefits due to barriers to accessing them, and 53% who do use these benefits have experienced such barriers.

In terms of specific access barriers:

16% of surveyed workers said they had to ask their line manager for information or approval beforehand.
13% needed manager or insurer preauthorization to use their health benefit.
13% found the process too complicated.
9% said their pre-existing conditions were not included.

The study showed there is clear demand for health benefits to be simpler, as 37% of surveyed workers said this would make them most likely to use the benefits. Additional ways to entice greater utilization included:

Quick access to health services (36%);
Better coverage for pre-existing conditions (22%);
Quick payment of claims (20%); and,
Greater ability to schedule appointments without having to take time off work (19%).

Missouri Governor Repeals State’s Earned Paid Sick Leave Law

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe recently signed House Bill 567 (H.B. 567), which repealed the state’s earned paid sick leave law, effective Aug. 28.

On Nov. 5, 2024, Missouri voters had approved Proposition A, providing changes to the state’s minimum wage and paid sick time benefits to employees. Under that law, “earned paid sick time” was defined as “time that is compensated at the same hourly rate and with the same benefits, including healthcare benefits, as the employee normally earns during hours worked.” All private employers not exempt from the law’s provisions were required to provide this benefit to eligible employees. That included:

Up to 40 hours per year for those working for an employer with fewer than 15 total employees; and,
Up to 56 hours per year for those working for an employer with 15 or more employees.

Under H.B. 567, employers may continue to offer employees earned paid sick time after Aug. 28 but are no longer required to do so beginning on that date.

The new law also modified workplace provisions by:

Maintaining the state’s minimum wage law at $15 per hour;
Repealing the annual Consumer Price Index adjustment toward that minimum wage; and,
Extending the wage requirement to public employers as well as private.

Maryland (Once Again) Halts Start of Paid Family and Medical Leave

For the third year in a row, Maryland delayed implementation of its Paid Family Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. The latest holdup occurred after Gov. Wes Moore signed House Bill 102 (H.B. 102), which:

Modified the FAMLI program, first established by the Time to Care Act in 2022;
Pushed the start of contributions from July 1, 2025, until Jan. 1, 2027;
Adjusted the availability of benefits from July 1, 2026, to between Jan. 1, 2027, at the earliest and Jan. 3, 2028, at the latest;
Repealed certain requirements for participating self-employed individuals; and,
Defined an “anchor date” for the calculation of a covered employee’s average weekly wage and eligibility for increases in weekly benefits.

Once implemented, the program will cover all employers in the state with at least one employee and will be funded by both employer and employee contributions. It generally will provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for workers to:

Care for a newborn child of the covered individual during the first year after the child’s birth;
Care for or bond with a child placed for adoption, foster care or kinship care during the first year after the placement;
Care for a family member with a serious health condition;
Attend to a serious health condition that results in the covered individual being unable to perform the functions of the covered individual’s position;
Care for a service member with a serious health condition resulting from military service for whom the covered individual is next of kin; or,
Attend to a qualifying exigency arising out of the deployment of a service member who is a family member of the covered individual.

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