How consumer health trends are reshaping employee benefits expectations

What you need to know:

Consumer health advertising is reshaping how employees evaluate treatments like GLP-1s and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Employees are seeing more information, acting faster, and increasingly forming expectations of employer-sponsored benefits before engaging with clinical guidance.

• Employees frequently encounter GLP-1 and HRT advertising, with many viewing these messages as trustworthy
• Most employees report taking action after seeing ads, including researching treatments, speaking with doctors, or pursuing prescriptions online
• Rising treatment awareness is increasing pressure on employers to provide coverage
• Coverage alone is rarely sufficient without clinical education and guidance
• Clinically guided care models help employers support informed, appropriate treatment decisions

Consumer health culture is rapidly reshaping the benefits landscape. Treatments that were once discussed primarily within clinical environments now sit firmly within mainstream digital media. Employees regularly see advertising, influencer content, digital prescription platforms, and AI information that shape how medications are perceived or used long before conversations occur with a healthcare provider or benefits team.

In the United States, direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising has become a major and growing presence across digital media. The top 10 pharmaceutical brands spent 30% more on TV commercials in 2025, totalling more than $729.4 million in the first three months of the year. Medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have become particularly visible, positioned not only as clinical treatments but as widely marketed solutions associated with broader lifestyle benefits.

Maven’s State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits 2026 report highlights how this evolving environment is influencing employee behavior. Drawing on multinational survey data from employees and HR leaders, the research reveals how consumer health messaging increasingly shapes treatment awareness, care-seeking decisions, and expectations of employer-sponsored coverage. For employers, this shift creates a new challenge. Rising demand must now be managed alongside clinical appropriateness, long-term outcomes, and cost considerations.

Consumer health messaging is changing employee behavior

Exposure to GLP-1 and HRT advertising has become a routine part of employees’ digital experiences. Maven’s research shows that 70% of employees encounter GLP-1 advertisements at least monthly, with 58% reporting weekly exposure. HRT messaging follows a similar trajectory, with nearly half of employees seeing monthly ads. Importantly, most employees consider these advertisements at least somewhat trustworthy, which appears to influence the choices they make next.

After seeing advertising for GLP-1 medications, more than a third of employees report speaking with a doctor, while 40% search for additional information online or through AI tools. Another 13% say they purchased medication directly through digital platforms without a referral from their physician. A similar pattern appears with HRT, where employees move quickly from awareness to research, clinical conversations, or online prescribing channels.

These trends point to a meaningful shift in how care journeys begin. Employees are no longer relying solely on traditional clinical pathways or employer education when evaluating treatment options. Instead, consumer messaging, digital platforms, and online prescribing platforms are increasingly shaping decisions earlier in the process.

Why coverage alone cannot resolve emerging treatment demand

GLP-1 therapies and hormone replacement treatments represent important advances in care. They also highlight a growing challenge for employers: financial coverage alone does not guarantee safe, effective, or well-supported treatment experiences.

GLP-1 medications can deliver meaningful benefits for individuals managing metabolic health and diabetes, extending beyond weight loss and glucose control. Research suggests that these therapies may also improve outcomes in related conditions including cardiovascular, kidney, liver, and inflammatory disorders. However, outcomes are closely tied to consistent treatment use and appropriate clinical oversight. At the same time, expectations shaped by advertising and social media can lead employees to overestimate results, misunderstand timelines, or underappreciate the need for ongoing monitoring and holistic care.

Hormone replacement therapy presents similar considerations. HRT can significantly improve quality of life for many individuals navigating menopause, yet suitability varies based on symptom profiles, medical history, and individual risk factors. Without clear clinical guidance, employees may struggle to interpret benefits, risks, eligibility criteria, or alternative management strategies.

Consumer health trends are also influencing how employees evaluate their benefits. 47% believe employers should cover GLP-1 medications, while 53% feel the same about hormone replacement therapy. 

Employers are responding to this demand, with more than half adding or expanding coverage related to these treatments. However, while coverage improves financial access, it does not inherently address clinical appropriateness, expectation management, long-term safety, or support. When benefits strategies expand reimbursement without strengthening education and navigation, employees may still find themselves making complex health decisions based on what they see online.

How HR leaders can evolve benefits programs alongside consumer health trends 

More must be done to help employees navigate consumer health trends safely, especially as they continue to evolve.

• Clear, evidence-based education plays a critical role. When employees encounter treatments through advertising or social media, clinical context helps ground decisions in medical guidance rather than marketing narratives. Employees benefit from understanding not just what a treatment does, but whether it is appropriate for their needs, what alternatives may exist, and what longer-term considerations should be factored into care decisions. This means that employers have an opportunity to be that source of trustworthy information, particularly through health benefits that provide education and clinical guidance on-demand.
• At the same time, accessibility matters. Employees increasingly expect health support to be easy to find, simple to navigate, and aligned with modern digital experiences. Pairing convenience—through consumer-grade benefits experiences—with clinically guided oversight allows organizations to meet these expectations while maintaining safety, quality, and outcomes.
• Benefits strategies must also account for change. Flexible, clinically managed care models enable employers to adapt with quickly evolving consumer health trends, rather than reacting to each new wave of demand.

How Maven helps employers manage emerging treatment demand

Consumer health trends reflect a lasting shift in how employees seek information and make care decisions. Maven helps organizations navigate this complexity through a clinically managed, end-to-end care model designed for today’s workforce.

Rather than operating solely as a reimbursement tool or informational resource, Maven provides employees with a centralized entry point into clinically grounded care. Through a single platform, employees gain access to qualified healthcare professionals across fertility, maternity, parenting, and menopause—life stages that increasingly intersect with demand for treatments such as GLP-1s and HRT.

This coordinated approach delivers the speed and accessibility employees expect while maintaining clinical appropriateness, evidence-based guidance, and strong privacy safeguards. For employers, the impact is measurable. Organizations partnering with Maven see up to $9,600 per member in combined clinical and business savings when partnering with Maven for clinically managed fertility and maternity care, alongside improved workforce outcomes. Members are also three times more likely to report having the skills to manage their health during menopause after using Maven.

Explore Maven’s State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits 2026 report to see how consumer health trends and digital influence are reshaping employee expectations and benefits strategies.