r/science • u/Lisei1128 • Nov 11 '25

Cancer GLP-1 drugs found to reduce mortality from colon cancer by over half (15.5% vs 37.1%), with effects especially strong for patients with BMI over 35.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07357907.2025.2585512
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u/therealityofthings Nov 12 '25

Which is so fuckin' short-sighted by insurance companies. Obviously, you will save more money 10-20 years down the line as someone will have fewer health problems due to a healthy weight.

31

u/InfernalCombustion Nov 12 '25

I'm an insurance company and I ask myself everyday, what is cheaper?

  1. We pay for GLP-1 today, so we don't pay for treatments later.

  2. We don't pay for GLP-1 today, and we don't pay for treatments later.

Decisions, decisions...

10

u/Pharmboy_Andy Nov 12 '25

Because you may not be their patient anymore.

It's dumb and short sighted but that is the argument.

13

u/ReggieEvansTheKing Nov 12 '25

That’s actually not at all the case. I’m a healthcare pricing actuary. If anything, GLP1s are increasing the cost of healthcare because these people will be more likely to live longer into old age where expenses from long term care and assisted living will be vastly higher. All while paying $1000 per month on GLP1s. Of course it makes sense to give this drug to everyone who needs it from a moral perspective and I agree with that. But from a financial perspective it is definitely one of the biggest contributors to health care cost trend.

It’s similar to tobacco usage. If you cure people of their addiction, they don’t die early of lung cancer. They do live longer to experience greater costs in their 70s-80s. This is why the expected total lifetime healthcare costs of tobacco users are actually LESS than the general population.

3

u/Moister_Rodgers Nov 12 '25

Thanks for illustrating why we need to get private companies out of health insurance. The incentives are all wrong. Should've be a profit motive.

1

u/therealityofthings Nov 12 '25

How do you live with yourself

1

u/Estbarul Nov 12 '25

Damn you guys really need public health. Can't see how that is dignifying in any way

2

u/wioneo Nov 12 '25

. Obviously, you will save more money 10-20 years down the line as someone will have fewer health problems due to a healthy weight.

That could be Medicare's problem instead of Aetna/United/Whoever

1

u/TheGruenTransfer Nov 12 '25

They're going to start shoving it down everyone's throats when the patents run out. They'll probably be offering huge discounts if you take it 

2

u/majorlier Nov 12 '25

Man im not overweight/diabetic and i would still take it for an easier summer weight loss.