The percentage of claimants filing claims for obesity drugs increased by 43 per cent in 2023, according to a new report by GreenShield.
The report, which analyzed the insurer’s 2023 claims data, found diabetes medications saw a 13 per cent increase in cost, accounting for nine per cent of total drug costs in 2023. There was also a 16 per cent increase in claims related to diabetes, which accounted for seven per cent of drug claims overall.
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The share of Canadians diagnosed with diabetes is estimated to increase from 15 per cent to 17 per cent by 2033, noted the report. Indeed, diabetes spend was dominated by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medications, accounting for 46.2 per cent of the total diabetes drug cost in 2023. Notably, by 2023, 29 per cent of people with diabetes were using these products, compared to 10 per cent in 2019 and 23 per cent in 2022.
Infection continued to be the most prevalent condition for which claims were made, as roughly 1.08 million plan members claimed medications in 2023 — accounting for just 3.1 per cent of total drug cost.
The report also found since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, there was a 132 per cent increase in mental-health claims and a 50 per cent increase in claimants seeking mental-health-related medications.
Depression and anxiety medications were the second most-claimed drug expenses in 2023. And the total costs for ADHD medication in the $500-$999 category increased by 24 per cent in 2023, with the number of claimants increasing by 20 per cent.
Total drug costs grew by $300 million to $2.5 billion between 2022 and 2023, with drug cost per claimant increasing by $18 during the same period. The total cost for specialty drugs was roughly $700 million in 2023, up from $630 million in 2022.
Read: Diabetes medications remain leading drug category for eligible claims in 2023: report