Temas

Unregulated, non-FDA-approved “copycat” GLP-1 drugs are flooding the market, and the patients targeted hardest, including seniors, rural Americans, and communities of color who are priced out of FDA-approved treatment, can least afford a dangerous outcome. HECCD is calling on lawmakers to close the enforcement gaps that let these products spread, and to fix the real problem by expanding coverage of safe, FDA-approved medicines.

Whether a Medicaid enrollee can get treatment for obesity often comes down to which state they live in. Some cover GLP-1 medications, some don't, and the gap falls hardest on the lowest-income Americans who already face the greatest obesity-related health risks. HECCD is pushing state by state to close that gap and make evidence-based obesity treatment a standard part of Medicaid coverage nationwide.

In July 2026, CMS launched the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, giving eligible beneficiaries a path to GLP-1 medications for as little as $50 a month. This is a real step forward, but a temporary one that's set to expire at the end of 2027. HECCD is working to turn this bridge into lasting coverage.

Obesity is a chronic disease that drives higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other costly conditions, and it disproportionately affects the low-income, minority, and rural communities HECCD was founded to serve. We advocate for equitable access to the full range of evidence-based obesity treatments so that where someone lives or what they earn doesn't decide whether they can get the care they need and deserve.