Tom Brady is pitching a GLP-1 benefit for healthcare workers

Tom Brady is the latest celebrity to tout GLP-1 medications for weight loss, and he’s pitching them specifically to healthcare workers.

EMed will sell GLP-1s to healthcare organizations at a cost of $25 per covered life per month through a program Brady spearheaded. The former NFL quarterback is an investor in eMed, and was named as its chief wellness officer in January. For $99 a month, eligible employees will be able to access all FDA-approved GLP-1 medications, the company said on April 15.

Linda Yaccarino, who left X to join eMed as CEO last August, told HR Brew she believes GLP-1 coverage can help healthcare employers stand out in a competitive labor market.

Helping healthcare workers. In a statement for the press release, Brady said he created this particular program to give back to “healthcare professionals who helped me stay on the field.”

In an email to HR Brew, Yaccarino pointed out that the healthcare profession can be characterized by “long shifts and high stress,” making it “difficult to prioritize consistent nutrition, sleep, and preventive care.” The goal of the eMed program is to help these professionals “access and stay on effective treatment, with the clinical support they need to see real results,” she said.

Some research suggests certain groups of healthcare workers are more likely to struggle with obesity than the general population. Long-term care workers, for example, had a higher average body mass index (BMI) than non-healthcare workers, as did licensed practical nurses and vocational nurses, according to a 2024 report from the Center for Healthcare Workforce Studies at University of Washington, though that study analyzed data from 2017.

EMed’s position in the GLP-1 landscape. While more employers have added GLP-1 coverage for obesity to their health plans in recent years, concerns around cost have caused some to hold off. Nearly 8 in 10 employers are seeing healthcare costs go up in part due to GLP-1s, according to a recent survey from Business Group on Health, and 10% said they would likely not continue covering GLP-1s for weight management in 2027.

What’s more, a lack of adherence to these medications can prevent patients and employers from seeing the results—and long-term cost savings—they’re hoping for.

Yaccarino has said that eMed is particularly invested in making sure patients stay on GLP-1s once they start taking them. “It’s not like other companies where you can just fill out a form and get a prescription. No, you stay with us,” she said in a May 4 interview with Bloomberg Radio.

Given the fact that available healthcare jobs continue to outpace the supply of workers who can fill these roles, Yaccarino suggested GLP-1 coverage could be a “differentiator” for healthcare employers. “The impact compounds,” she added. “Healthier employees stay longer, perform better, and bring their best to the people who need them most.”