GLP-1 medications are prompting significant financial tradeoffs for users, according to Nationwide Retirement Institute's 2026 Healthcare Costs Survey of 1,933 adults conducted last summer. Half of users worry they may have to choose between paying for treatment and saving for retirement, while 24% say maintaining access matters more than increasing retirement savings. Median annual out-of-pocket spending exceeded $1,500, and nearly one in five users spent more than 10% of annual household income on the drugs, with uninsured and lower-income people facing the greatest burden, according to a Virginia Commonwealth University study. More than half of current users changed their financial behavior because of the costs, including taking on debt, withdrawing savings or retirement funds, cutting contributions and delaying medical care. At the same time, users reported greater optimism about their long-term health, with many saying the medication could lead them to retire later and feel less urgency to build savings or buy additional insurance. Nearly 60% remain concerned about affording the medication in retirement. Financial advisers urged users to prioritize retirement contributions, automate savings and budget for treatment afterward.