Racial and Economic Disparities in Who Gets Prescribed GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs | Research

The takeaway

Black, Hispanic, and lower-socioeconomic-status patients were less likely to receive GLP-1 obesity prescriptions even within a university health system, mirroring national disparities.

Racial and SES disparities confirmed
Unequal GLP-1 prescribing persists even within a university HMO setting

What the researchers found

Black, Hispanic, and lower-socioeconomic-status patients were less likely to receive GLP-1 prescriptions for obesity within a university-based HMO, consistent with national disparity patterns.

Why it matters

Obesity disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic, and lower-income populations — the very groups least likely to receive the most effective treatments. This disparity perpetuates health inequity.

How the study worked

Retrospective cohort study at a university-based staff model HMO examining GLP-1 prescribing by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

What this study cannot tell us

Single-center study at a university HMO; may not generalize to other healthcare settings; did not examine patient preferences or provider decision-making reasons.

How to read the evidence

Single-center retrospective cohort — identifies important disparity but limited generalizability.

When this study was published

Published in 2026, documenting disparities during the peak adoption phase of GLP-1 obesity medications.

The bigger picture

Even in theoretically equal-access healthcare settings like HMOs, systemic disparities persist in who receives cutting-edge obesity treatments — highlighting that insurance coverage alone doesn't solve health equity.

Questions still open

What specific barriers prevent equitable GLP-1 prescribing in healthcare systems with equal insurance coverage?
Would targeted outreach programs increase GLP-1 access for underserved populations?

Common questions

Why are GLP-1 weight loss drugs prescribed unequally?

Multiple factors contribute: provider implicit bias, cost/insurance barriers, differences in patient awareness, cultural factors in discussing weight, and systemic healthcare inequities that affect who gets referred to specialists.

Does this mean the healthcare system is discriminating?

Not necessarily intentionally, but the pattern of unequal prescribing — even in settings with equal insurance — suggests systemic factors that health systems need to actively identify and address.

Read the original research

Prescribing GLPs for Obesity Treatment for Adults at a University Based Health Maintenance Organization by Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status.

Journal of general internal medicine, 41(2), 499-505

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Chen, Alissa S; Brunetto, Wendy; Canavan, Maureen E; Lipska, Kasia J; Richey, Elizabeth; Wilson, Madeline S; Zarro, James; Ross, Joseph S. (2026). Prescribing GLPs for Obesity Treatment for Adults at a University Based Health Maintenance Organization by Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status.. Journal of general internal medicine, 41(2), 499-505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-025-09691-4