Walmart is to provide more than 250 prescription medicines, including some insulin, inhalers and GLP-1 treatments for diabetes, at no cost to employees from 2027.
The retailer will offer Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro free to employees with type 2 diabetes, subject to a new prior authorisation process. The medicines will not be covered when prescribed for weight loss.
The changes form part of an expansion of Walmart’s employee benefits as it seeks to attract and retain staff while limiting increases in healthcare costs. The company’s open enrolment period closes on November 6.
Walmart, the biggest private employer in the US, said it would keep premium increases to a minimum. The cost of its starting health plan will rise by $1.50 per pay period to $39.80, a smaller increase than last year.
The retailer employs about 2.1 million associates worldwide, including roughly 1.6 million in the US, according to figures for the end of its 2026 financial year.
It is also extending a benefit that allows employees to consult cancer specialists at the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic. From next year, workers covered by most plans will be able to use the service to obtain a second opinion from a specialist for rare conditions including ALS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
Parents will additionally be eligible for 12 weeks of neonatal intensive care unit leave. The leave can be taken alongside standard parental and maternity leave, according to a letter sent to staff by Donna Morris, Walmart’s chief people officer.
Walmart said: “The steps we’re taking are based on years of planning and trying new things, which is allowing us to make meaningful improvements for associates without slashing benefits or significantly raising premiums.”
