Restoring Value in Diabetes Care: The Role of Benefits Leaders

This article addresses a pressing issue within today’s U.S. healthcare marketplace. Consumerism can be effective when benefits leaders, acting without bias or conflicts of interest, help members access high-value care. However, cost, quality, and value are not the only drivers of decision-making. Marketing campaigns, social pressures, and misinformation increasingly influence both patients and providers. GLP-1 receptor agonists are one of several treatment options for type 2 diabetes, but they are not always the most appropriate choice. SGLT2 inhibitors often provide strong efficacy, may be better tolerated for many patients, and in some cases offer superior long-term kidney outcomes compared with GLP-1 receptor agonists (Jensen et al., 2026). Despite this, GLP-1 utilization continues to rise rapidly, driven in part by marketing, weight loss interest, and patient demand, contributing to higher healthcare costs and inefficiencies. In a well-functioning system, providers would focus on educating patients and prescribing the most appropriate therapy based on clinical value and outcomes. Today, the provider-patient relationship has weakened, while pharmaceutical and technology marketing has grown stronger. Patients may trust digital messaging more than clinical guidance, and providers may feel pressure to accommodate requests to maintain relationships. Benefits leaders can help correct this imbalance by reinvesting in primary care provider time and strengthening trust between providers and patients. Enabling meaningful interactions improves communication, supports better clinical decisions, and reinforces appropriate utilization. Restoring this relationship will improve health outcomes, reduce unnecessary spending, and ensure advanced therapies like GLP-1 receptor agonists are used where they deliver the greatest value.

Jensen, S. K., Heide-Jørgensen, U., Andersen, I. T., et al. (2026). SGLT2 inhibitors vs GLP-1 receptor agonists for kidney outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes. JAMA Internal Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.7409