Surging demand for Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs is adding up for some Minnesota employers.

Why it matters: The popular medications are changing lives and health outcomes for the better.

• But the high price tag is also driving up health care costs for employers and their workers, prompting some workplaces to scale back coverage.

Driving the news: The Metropolitan Airports Commission recently decided to end coverage of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs for weight loss for the 2,400 employees, dependents and retirees covered by its health plan.

• Spokesperson Jeff Lea said "skyrocketing demand for these very high-cost drugs and the impact of those high costs on the premiums for all employees" prompted the change.

By the numbers: Lea didn't share MAC's total price tag, but noted that such prescriptions can cost about $6,000 a year per person.

The big picture: It's not just the airport feeling the strain. Close to 80% of employers nationwide that responded to one recent Business Group on Health survey reported an increase in employees using the medications.

• A separate study projected that the spike in demand will drive up premiums at employer-sponsored plans by as much as 14%.

Zoom in: Minnesota's state employee health plan spending on the drugs for weight management jumped from $13 million in 2023, when about 1,600 eligible employees had a prescription, to $43 million last year.

• Between January and July of this year, close to 7,000 people covered by the plan filled a GLP-1 prescription for weight management, costing $45 million before rebates.

Friction point: Employers nationwide are putting new requirements in place for workers seeking the medication to curb costs, the Business Group on Health survey found.

• Connecticut, New Hampshire and North Carolina recently rolled back coverage or added new eligibility requirements for state employees.

The other side: Supporters of covering the drugs say long-term savings and quality of life benefits are worth the cost.

What we're watching: Drugmakers recently agreed to cut prices under pressure from the public and policymakers.

Full story

Weight loss medications have made up about 9% of State Employee Group Insurance Program spending this year, MMB tells Axios.

• In 2022, when the state spent $3 million on the drugs, the share was just 1%.

Driving the trend: A 3,000% increase in the number of individuals who met eligibility requirements and filled prescriptions for the drugs since 2021.

• The per-prescription cost to the state dropped 19% over the same period.

Who's eligible...

🕯️ A memorial to slain former Speaker Melissa Hortman will remain in the Minnesota House chambers through 2026. (MPR News)

An ICE operation that left workers at a Chanhassen construction site on a roof in the frigid temps drew protests. (MPR News)

Rep. Ilhan Omar said her son was pulled over by ICE agents, who let him go after he produced proof of citizenship. (Axios)

🛒 The Oxendale's Market in West St. Paul will close later this month, and nearby El Burrito Mercado is reducing hours. (Pioneer Press)

🗳️DFL state Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega will run to succeed outgoing Ramsey County Board President Rafael Ortega in District 5. (Background via Pioneer Press)

🧵 The snarky Seattle embroiderer behind the viral "I got a lobotomy at the Mall of America" sweatshirts says she'll post five more this afternoon. (Instagram)

Kendall Qualls narrowly won Saturday's Minnesota Republican Party Straw Poll.

Why it matters: The results, along with campaign fundraising reports due in January, can signal which candidates have early momentum in a crowded field.

State of play: Qualls, a nonprofit leader who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022 and Congress in 2020, topped the poll of delegates at the party's winter meeting with 93 votes.

• House Speaker Lisa Demuth was right behind him with 90 votes, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, the newest entrant in the race, came in third with 49.

The big picture: Republicans hope that voter fatigue after two terms and Gov. Tim Walz's vulnerabilities on fraud will help them end a two-decade statewide losing streak next year.

• Yes, but: A messy and prolonged primary complicates their chances — especially if it results in a candidate seen as less viable in the general winning the nomination.

Reality check: The candidate who comes in first in the December straw poll doesn't always secure the endorsement or nomination, both of which are still months away.

Yes, but: Those who had a poor showing may feel pressure to drop.

Full results

Democrats argue that a midterm election that's a referendum on President Trump — and issues like health care costs and tariffs — will work in Walz's favor.

• They see recent results in places like New Jersey, Virginia and Tennessee as signs that Trump's low approval ratings will boost them at the polls.

Yes, but: Recent national headlines on fraud in state programs — and the governor's response — is driving even more nerves and hand-wringing among some DFL insiders.

• Case in point: 69% of voters surveyed in a KSTP/Survey USA poll released over the weekend said the governor hasn't done enough to stop fraud.

What we're hearing: "Walz feels like the best shot at winning and also the biggest liability all at once," one DFL operative told Axios.

The other side: Walz, who announced a new director of program integrity and other fraud prevention moves on Friday, has downplayed reports of intra-DFL concerns.

What we're watching: Hamline University political science professor David Schultz told Axios that Walz's vulnerabilities risk "creating a Biden problem" for Democrats if his approval ratings continue to drop.

Full story

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Quinn Hughes electrified in his Wild debut last night, scoring a goal and showing why he's considered one of the NHL's best defensemen.

Why it matters: Friday's blockbuster trade for Hughes is the one of the biggest transactions in Wild history.

• The stunning, "win-now" move came with a steep price: In return, the Vancouver Canucks got three players — including rookie sensation Zeev Buium — plus a first-round draft pick.

What we're watching: Vegas' Stanley Cup betting odds. Last week, the Wild were pegged as 45-to-1 longshots.

• The Hughes trade catapulted Minnesota to 28-to-1, per SportsBettingDime — right in the mix with division rivals Dallas and Colorado.