GLP-1 Therapies and Mortality Risk: Implications for Life Insurers

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have rapidly expanded beyond their initial role in diabetes management, demonstrating therapeutic potential across a range of non-diabetic conditions. Due to their potential to improve mortality and morbidity outcomes, GLP-1 drugs are becoming an increasingly salient topic for insurers, particularly in relation to mortality improvement, medical underwriting, and new product development. Our large-scale mortality study estimates that GLP-1 drugs may drive 0.2%-0.5% annual mortality improvement, realized over a 20-year period. Low adherence could limit long-term mortality benefits, and electronic health records will be vital for accurately assessing metabolic risk in underwriting. The mortality benefits identified for GLP-1 drugs present opportunities for carriers to transform how they assess metabolic risk in underwriting programs. However, variation in individual risk profiles, driven by poor adherence and inconsistent behavioral change, as well as other factors, underscores the need for nuance in program design and application.