Health Equity Leaders Applaud Biden Administration for Prioritizing the Health of Millions of Americans by Expanding Medicare and Medicaid Coverage of Obesity Treatment

November 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease released the following statement in response to the White House’s announcement that it will move to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include critical, FDA-approved anti-obesity medications for 7.5 million Americans enrolled in the programs who are living with obesity and being denied access to lifesaving treatments. The announcement comes at an urgent moment, as an estimated 42% of American adults are currently living with obesity, and as some studies estimate that more than half of Americans will be living with obesity by 2030. 

The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease — which brings together some of the nation’s most prominent racial justice and health equity leaders — has long urged decision makers to significantly expand coverage under Medicare and Medicaid for obesity screenings, treatment, and FDA approved therapies such as anti-obesity medications, eliminating barriers for millions of Americans living with this chronic disease.

The leaders of the Coalition released the following statement:

“Today’s White House announcement represents a major step forward in combating the obesity epidemic and ensuring that millions of older Americans living with the chronic disease are finally able to access the treatments they deserve. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by obesity which is why we have long called on decision makers to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include the full range of obesity treatment options — including greater access to intensive behavioral therapies, screenings, and anti-obesity medications. Today’s action will not only help millions achieve more positive health outcomes, but will move us closer toward creating a more equitable health care system — that has for too long excluded millions facing systemic barriers in accessing the care they need and deserve. 

“Obesity has been designated a chronic disease for well over a decade and today’s announcement ensures that Medicare and Medicaid will finally begin to treat it as such — by ensuring the clinical standard of care that millions of Americans deserve. This action will not only save money but will more critically save lives by significantly driving down obesity rates and improving health outcomes for millions — including the millions of Black and Brown Americans who are disproportionately and unfairly shouldering the burden of the obesity epidemic.”

BACKGROUND | The Disproportionate Impact of Obesity on Communities of Color 

The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease has advocated for expanding access to obesity treatment due to the disproportionate impacts of obesity on communities of color and the devastation these impacts cause. Obesity has disproportionate impacts on marginalized groups, particularly Black Americans. Nearly half of Black Americans, including almost 60 percent of Black women, are living with obesity — higher than their White counterparts. Even though rates of obesity are higher for Black Americans than White Americans, access is largely unavailable to the prior group. With limited access to obesity treatments, higher rates of obesity amongst Black and Hispanic Americans further deepen existing health disparities, as obesity often triggers hundreds of other related conditions prevalent in Black and Hispanic communities — including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. 

The total cost of chronic diseases due to obesity was $1.72 trillion in 2016, which is more than the federal government spent last year on Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance subsidies combined. These high costs fall on taxpayers and individuals. Researchers at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center project that coverage for new obesity treatments could save Medicare $175 billion in the first 10 years alone. If obesity and their extreme costs persist and grow, the problems will get worse, and they will get worse for historically disadvantaged communities of color far more than others.

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The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease (HECCD) believes that all people deserve the best possible health care. Continuing to allow outdated coverage policies to restrict access for communities dependent on public programs is counter to the principles of health equity. The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease’s mission is to ensure that community experts, policy makers, providers, and other stakeholders work together to eliminate barriers to healthcare for communities of color, especially as related to access to care and treatment for obesity and other chronic diseases. Learn more at www.HealthEquityAction.org.