The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has found a way to preserve coverage of GLP-1 medications for employees heading into 2026.
We’ve previously reported the county’s health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, is increasing the cost for coverage of those weight loss drugs, and it was going to run the county around another $1 million per year. Therefore, budget-weary commissioners debated dropping that coverage. However, on Thursday, County Administrator Brian Dissette told the board a deal has been reached.
“The board’s executive committee worked with Blue Cross Blue Shield over a series of weeks to try and maintain the GLP-1 coverage into ‘26,” Dissette said. “What was initially in the $900,000 range has now been reduced down to roughly $315 ,000 with the understanding that it really is a bridge.”
Dissette asked the board to approve a budget amendment moving $500,000 into the Health Care Insurance Fund to pay for that.
Board chair Mac Elliott said sometimes in life, hoping for a little luck can be a good plan.
“Blue Cross has stepped up, they have been engaged with Novo Nordisk and with Eli Lilly, and we anticipate that individual subscribers, our employees, will have access to coupons,” Elliott said.
Elliott said employees will get those in the course of 2026. He added recent moves by the Trump administration to reduce costs for GLP-1 medications have helped, joking it’s good the president watched the board’s previous discussions.
Dissette also reported Thursday that commissioners next week will consider the final budget for 2026 and that he’s found a good deal of savings in it.
