GLP-1s, Mental Health & Vaccines

Prescription Drugs, Devices, and Digital Health

Health care costs, coverage, and technology continue to evolve across the United States. Learn more about GLP-1 access, prescription drug affordability, and developments in AI and digital health.

• GLP-1 Access & Coverage: A recent Gallup survey found that 11% of US adults are using GLP-1 medications for weight loss, up from 3% in 2024. Access for Medicare beneficiaries expanded with the July 2026 launch of Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge Program, which offers certain weight-loss medications to eligible Part D beneficiaries for $50 per month; by August 31, around 600,000 beneficiaries had enrolled. Meanwhile, a growing number of US employers are planning to drop GLP-1 coverage in 2027 as health care costs continue to rise.
• Prescription Drug Access & Affordability: Prescription drug prices in the US fell 3.1% from July 2025 to July 2026, the most abrupt drop in more than 60 years, but a recent PwC analysis found that pharmacy spending and specialty drug utilization continue to contribute to affordability challenges. The Trump Administration announced agreements with nine additional pharmaceutical companies to offer discounted drugs through state Medicaid programs, and the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is aiming to accelerate drug development and review, including proposed “America First” incentives for companies conducting early-stage clinical trials in the US.
• AI & Digital Health: The FDA recently authorized the first wearable device in the US for continuously monitoring both glucose and ketone levels. The FDA is also considering a new approach for evaluating generative AI-enabled medical devices, similar to how physicians are assessed. A new US Government Accountability Office report on wearable technologies found that they could support more timely, personalized care and remote monitoring, but face accuracy and clinical integration challenges.

Resources & Initiatives

• The National Council on Aging shared guidance for beneficiaries on the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program, including eligibility, costs, and accessing medications.
• To provide greater access to prescription drugs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has partnered with Gemini Health, a provider-integrated system that can automatically identify and display lower-cost prescription drug alternatives.
• Blue Cross NC recently partnered with NC MedAssist to expand access to prescription and over-the-counter medications, health resources, and essential care.
• Many organizations have resources on AI and digital health, including the FDA’s ongoing guidance on digital health technologies and a recent webinar by AHIP on using AI to address pressing health care challenges while maintaining trust and effective governance.

The Latest on Mental Health

Mental health is shaped by many factors, including access to care and the environments people live in. Learn more about postpartum and youth mental health care, and how extreme heat may affect mental well-being.

• Postpartum Mental Health: Recent news has brought rising attention to perinatal mental health conditions – including depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and psychosis – which are the leading complications of childbearing. Postpartum psychosis is a rare but serious condition, impacting an estimated 1 to 2 mothers per 1,000 births, and can be accompanied by auditory or visual hallucinations.
• Access to Postpartum Mental Health Care: Access to specialized mental health care during the postpartum period remains limited, with around 500 reproductive psychiatrists nationwide. A recent JAMA study found that facilitated transitions from obstetric care to primary care may improve how mental health services are received and can support continuity of care.
• Youth Mental Health: With chatbot and AI use surging among adolescents, experts are looking for ways to ensure these models have effective safeguards. A recent study by Transluce, a nonprofit that studies AI behavior, found that while leading AI models are improving, users in crisis may still receive contradictory information lacking meaningful support. Other studies have focused on ways to positively leverage generative AI, including research published in JMIR Mental Health on mental health apps for young people, and JAMA on how digital games may support adolescent mental health.
• Environmental Mental Health: Extreme heat can have a detrimental impact on physical and mental health. A recent study in Science Advances found that heat spikes prompt more emergency department (ED) visits, including for mental health conditions. A study by Elevance Health and Carelon Research found an association between periods of extreme heat and increases in ED use, costs, and inpatient admissions.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or access the online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Resources & Initiatives

• The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health released a postpartum psychosis symptom checklist and provides information on how to seek support.
• Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, a NIHCM Journalism Grantee, produced a 9-part podcast series on the birthing journey, from pre-pregnancy through the postpartum period, including an episode on postpartum depression.
• The Florida Blue Foundation is working to address the state’s maternal health crisis through expanding access to doula care, in-home visits, mental health services, and chronic condition support.
• BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association are supporting youth mental health through school-based conversations and expanded mental health resources for adolescents.
• The Wellmark Foundation’s School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant Program is improving access to youth behavioral health care in rural Iowa by strengthening school-based care, including through support for expanding the behavioral health workforce and telehealth access.
• Several organizations offer resources to support mental health and well-being during extreme weather events. The Public Health Communications Collaborative recently hosted a webinar; the Climate Mental Health Network published resources for children and youth; and the American Public Health Association released a report on building mental wellness and climate resilience.

Exclusive Interview on Diabetes Preventative Therapies and Outcomes

Over 115 million American adults – more than 2 in 5 – have prediabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A recent NIHCM-funded study, conducted by Dan Ly and team, examined racial and ethnic variation in the use of evidence-based type 2 diabetes preventive therapies and the progression from prediabetes to diabetes among US Veterans. Their findings note disparities in preventive therapy uptake and rates of disease progression. Learn more about this Journal of General Internal Medicine publication and the importance of its findings in this interview:

Q: What surprised you the most about your findings?

A: I was surprised by the high rates of progression to diabetes across all Veterans with prediabetes—about a fifth to a quarter of all Veterans with prediabetes subsequently developed diabetes over the decade we examined.

Q: What implications might these findings have for health care utilization and cost, especially with the high progression of diabetes?

A: Given this relatively high probability of developing diabetes among Veterans and its often deleterious consequences and attendant costs, health care systems should make additional efforts to implement known effective diabetes prevention therapies and study other possible therapies.

This analysis is supported by a NIHCM Policy Research Grant. Read the full interview here.

Vaccine Updates and Prevention

Recent changes to vaccine policy, new developments in cancer prevention, and the start of the school year are drawing attention across the US. Learn more:

• Childhood Vaccines: New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that routine vaccination coverage among US kindergarteners declined during the 2025 – 2026 school year, while exemptions from one or more vaccines rose from 3.6% to a record 4.2%. President Trump recently signed an executive order, which would narrow universally recommended childhood immunizations from 17 to 11 and space vaccinations across additional medical visits.
• Measles: Measles cases in the US have continued to rise in 2026, with 3,294 confirmed cases reported as of September 10, surpassing the 2025 total and raising concerns as students return to school. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that trust in the measles vaccine has declined in recent years, with 76% of Americans now considering the vaccine safe for children, compared to 84% in 2020. As of September 15, Pennsylvania has reported four measles-related deaths, including a six-week-old infant, though they are not currently included in the federal count.
• Cancer Vaccine: A new mRNA cancer vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck has been shown to improve outcomes for melanoma, a type of skin cancer, including lowering the risk of death and metastasis. A separate study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that people between the ages of 9 and 26 vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), which accounts for 5 – 10% of cancers globally, are 68% less likely to later be diagnosed with head or neck cancer.
• COVID-19 Vaccine: COVID-19 cases are trending upward in 48 states, and the FDA  approved five new vaccines as of August 2026. Looking ahead to the 2026 – 2027 respiratory season, the University of Minnesota’s CIDRAP released an independent review of the latest evidence on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines, all published in JAMA.

Resources & Initiatives

• KFF highlights state vaccine exemption policies, the National Conference of State Legislatures shares a map detailing school immunization exemptions, and the American Medical Association released updated vaccine recommendations.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas shared guidance on recommended vaccinations for children and adults.
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center offers resources on vaccine safety and vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Newsweek shares guidance from experts on how measles is spreading and who is most susceptible to the virus.
• The Cancer Research Institute released an in-depth guide on cancer vaccines, and Wellmark shared an HPV vaccine toolkit focused on preventing HPV-related cancers and supporting vaccine education.
• Hepatitis B and C are leading causes of liver cancer, and hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has resources on hepatitis and liver cancer.
• Becker’s Hospital Review shares five things to know about the new COVID vaccines recommended by the FDA, and Forbes provides an additional overview of availability.