It’s becoming a familiar headline. A major hospital system like Scripps Health or Hartford HealthCare announces it’s ending its contract with an insurer. Or a payer like Anthem or Cigna warns members that a local hospital will soon be out of network. What used to be rare has become routine. Contract disputes between providers and insurers are now a defining feature of today’s healthcare landscape.

Few modern therapies have reshaped both healthcare and consumer behavior as profoundly as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, these injectable medications have become cultural and clinical touchstones thanks to their profound impact on weight loss and metabolic health; and are signaling even broader possibilities ahead.