Want obesity drugs covered by insurance? Telehealth companies have a big say

David Davis, a power plant worker in Aptos, Calif., was prescribed GLP-1 medication to treat obstructive sleep apnea. To approve the prescription, his insurance company required him to use Vida Health, an online telehealth company. Lisa Wiseman for NPR/‎ hide caption

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Every time David Davis talks to a nurse at Vida Health, he thinks he'll finally get the OK for Zepbound.

"I thought, 'All right, I'll go through their hoops — I'll jump through their hoops,'" he says. "The more they wanted, the more frustrated I would get."

The 57-year-old power plant worker who lives near Santa Cruz, Calif., had already gotten a Zepbound prescription from his primary care doctor last December to treat the obstructive sleep apnea that was leaving him exhausted every morning.

But before Davis could fill it, his company added a new requirement. He'd have to get a new prescription through Vida Health. The benefits team called Vida "a cardiometabolic weight loss solution" and framed it as a perk.

Telehealth companies such as Vida Health and its rivals offer lifestyle support so people taking drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound can have the most success on the drugs. But the companies often have another job: limiting obesity drug costs for employers.

Davis was frustrated that he now had to work with Vida, but he did as he was told: He got new blood work, filled out health questionnaires and did video visits with a nurse.