SURGING: Growing Number of Medical Experts, Lawmakers, and Health Care Advocates Stepping Up Calls for Medicare and Medicaid to Expand Obesity Care, Access to Medication
March 27, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A growing number of medical experts, lawmakers, health care advocates, and community leaders across the country are stepping up their calls on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take urgent action in finalizing a proposed rule that would expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include critical, FDA-approved anti-obesity medications — a move which could bring life-saving obesity treatment to as many as 7.5 million Americans. The surge in calls for urgent action is playing out on the opinion pages of dozens of newspapers across the country, where prominent leaders are arguing that the time for action is now — as the obesity epidemic takes a $170 billion toll on the nation annually and grows at a pace that will see more than half of Americans living with obesity by 2030.
These calls are building on momentum that is already generating across the country. In January, nearly 20,000 grassroots advocates from all 50 states joined the Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease in signing a petition calling on CMS to adopt the rule. At the same time, a dozen national advocacy organizations joined the coalition in signing onto a separate letter to CMS arguing that current policies are inequitable — especially impacting older Americans living in rural and underserved communities who experience disproportionately higher rates of obesity.
Surging Calls Across the Country for CMS To Take Action
NATIONAL
Forbes | By Steve Forbes, Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief
“Medicare and Medicaid coverage for AOMs is a necessary and cost-saving approach to an epidemic of our own making. AOMs aren’t a silver bullet but, when matched with the adoption of a healthier lifestyle and diet, are a critically needed tool to address a serious problem impacting families, seniors, workers and employers. And, in doing so, AOMs will seriously assist combatting out-of-control and wasteful government healthcare spending down the road. If the Trump Administration chooses to move forward with the CMS proposal, it would not only help Make America Healthy Again but also help Make America Great Again economically.”
NATIONAL
Washington Examiner | By Saul Anuzis, 60 Plus Association President
“A proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would end Medicare’s prohibition on covering drugs used explicitly for weight loss. This proposal reflects a modern recognition among medical experts and policymakers that obesity is a disease. It also comes amid high and growing demand for a relatively new class of highly effective and safe treatment, which wasn’t the case when the regulation was implemented … Making America healthy again is about offering people more choices and more transparency into what we’re putting into our bodies to both fuel and treat them … Authorizing Medicare to cover weight loss drugs for obesity helps advance the new White House’s vision for a healthier America. The Trump administration would be wise to approve the CMS’s proposed rule. Millions of seniors will benefit.”
ALABAMA
Alabama Political Reporter | By Kelly Reese, Inside Medicine Founder
“Obesity is the second biggest predictor of death and hospitalizations next to age… That, however, could soon change as the Trump Administration considers a proposed Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage of AOMs. This rule, which is long overdue, would unlock the full potential of these medications and ensure that Americans who need them could have affordable access to them … Doctors, who are best equipped to determine whether a patient needs AOMs, are limited in their ability to prescribe them; Medicare patients, who have paid into the system their whole life, are hampered by regulations written in 2003. Even worse, for some patients, aging into Medicare can cost them the coverage that they had for AOMs under their private insurance.”
ARIZONA
Arizona Capitol Times | By Rep. Leo Biasiucci, Arizona Lawmaker
“Medicare must recognize obesity as a chronic disease and provide coverage for the treatments that can help those who struggle with it … This is not a partisan issue — it is a public health and economic concern. Rising obesity rates drive up health care costs, place greater burdens on Medicare and reduce overall productivity … Studies show that expanding Medicare coverage for AOMs could save the program up to $700 billion over the next 30 years by reducing obesity related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and joint disorders.”
FLORIDA
Miami Herald | By Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, Florida Lawmaker
“President Donald Trump has long fought for commonsense healthcare reform. Fortunately, he has a chance to deliver on it. He is reviewing a rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which establishes or modifies what Medicare and Medicaid will cover. Only by finalizing this proposed CMS rule and expanding AOM can their full potential be realized in Florida and across the country. It’s necessary that Trump finalize it … For our state’s seniors, reducing obesity can mean a lessened risk of falls, better mental health and a lower chance of nursing home admission, all of which serve to enhance independence. But right now, far too few individuals have access to them. Of the 10% of people who receive any medical help for obesity, a minuscule 2% subset take AOMs.
IOWA
Des Moines Register | By Kelley Koch, Former Health Care Professional
“It is time our nation prioritizes health and the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda to fight our growing obesity epidemic … The Trump administration will soon face the choice of granting Medicare recipients struggling with obesity the ability to access AOMs to help in their fight against obesity. Implementing these medications along with lifestyle changes which include positive diet and exercise changes can drastically improve obese people’s health. By including these medications as an option for obese Medicare recipients, Medicare costs will significantly decrease. On average, Medicare spends over $2,000 more yearly on beneficiaries with obesity compared to healthy-weight beneficiaries. If Medicare allows these medications as options, it could save the government billions — upward of $250 billion in spending over 10 years — that would otherwise be spent on treating obesity related health conditions.”
IOWA
Newton News | By Thad Nearmyer, Jasper County Board of Supervisors Member
“While there are many things that we should do to fight obesity, such as promoting healthy lifestyles and making efforts to improve eating habits, there are also common-sense policies that we can adopt on a federal level. We should allow everyone the choice to access a wide range of treatments to fight obesity, including anti-obesity medications (AOMs) … By granting Medicare recipients access to these medications, [President Trump’s] administration could improve the lives of many Americans while also saving the government billions.”
KANSAS
Topeka-Capital Journal | By Rep. Tim Johnson, Kansas Lawmaker
“As the rate of obesity continues to rise and the number of individuals entering the Medicare system rises alongside it, so too will the annual costs that are placed on taxpayers … The next five years will see another 20 million Americans afflicted, bringing our total to approximately 120 million Americans with obesity … President Trump can deliver for seniors and taxpayers by finalizing the proposed CMS rule — he should take the opportunity and Kansas’ federal delegation should support it.”
KENTUCKY
Link NKY | By Dr. Monalisa Tailor, Internal Medicine Physician
“The Trump Administration is discussing government efficiency and a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. AOMs offer an opportunity to do both. Not only will it help the health of our seniors in Kentucky, but including AOMs as an option will significantly decrease Medicare costs. On average, Medicare spends over $2,000 more yearly on beneficiaries with obesity. If Medicare allows these medications as options, it could save the government upward of $250 billion in spending over 10 years that would otherwise be spent on treating obesity-related health conditions. This CMS rule has broad bi-partisan support and strong support from medical and patient communities. The extension provides access to comprehensive, affordable, and clinically effective treatments, allowing healthcare providers and Medicare patients access to all tools to treat obesity.”
MAINE
Bangor Daily News | By Sen. Marianne Moore, Maine Lawmaker
“People are dying — and other diseases are made worse — because we are taking an outdated and wrong approach to treatments for obesity. Incredible medical progress has created new treatments to help people fight obesity, but for many, they are out of reach. The drugs are expensive and not covered by health insurance … Medicare covers treatment for other chronic diseases. Obesity should be no different. Additionally, members of Congress and federal employees receive coverage for obesity medicine. Our seniors should too.”
MONTANA
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle | By Rep. Jane Gillette, Montana Lawmaker
“Consider the downstream costs of not covering these drugs. The cost of treating the complications of uncontrolled diabetes and obesity — the hospitalizations, the surgeries, the long-term care — dwarfs the cost of preventative medication … By having Medicare cover AOMs, we are investing in chronic obesity prevention and deterring expensive and devastating consequences of the disease. We’ll be investing in healthier communities, and a healthier economy.”
PENNSYLVANIA
The Delaware County Daily Times | By Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti, Pennsylvania Lawmaker
“The obesity epidemic has impacted Americans in every corner of the country, whether young or old, urban or rural, all communities have faced the challenge of living with obesity. And in a society where obesity treatments are often inaccessible for patients due to stigma and insurance barriers, the toll of this chronic disease is immeasurable on the millions of Americans diagnosed with obesity … Longstanding biases that barred Medicare and Medicaid Services from providing coverage for anti-obesity medications (AOMs) helped contribute to the incorrect stigma that obesity is the result of poor lifestyle choices, furthering the struggles that so many are facing … Fully covering AOMs will not only help patients and their families, but it will also improve the health of our workforce and improve our economy.”
PENNSYLVANIA
Broad + Liberty | By Michael Straw, Pennsylvania Republican Party
“Right now, the Trump Administration can take action by finalizing the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) draft rule to provide coverage for these life-saving medications. By finalizing the draft CMS rule, President Trump will be the first president to recognize that obesity is a treatable chronic disease while achieving billions of dollars in savings for our health care system … For years, the United States has been viewed around the world as the example for unhealthiness, but with President Trump now in office, we have a chance to better our nation’s health by addressing obesity this issue head on. By finalizing this CMS draft rule, President Trump and his administration can make good on their promise to ‘Make America Healthy Again’”
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Sumter Item | By Cindy Risher, South Carolina Republican Party
“Preventing obesity-related diseases through effective treatment options will reduce overall Medicare expenditures and improve the health of millions. In fact, studies show that addressing obesity now will save Medicare billions of dollars in the long run. The long-term return on investment is clear: healthier individuals, reduced strain on the health care system and lower costs for taxpayers.”
SOUTH CAROLINA
Greenville News | By Rep. Mark Willis, South Carolina Lawmaker
“When Medicare Part D was written in 2003, it left off coverage for AOMs. Now, 22 years later, that policy has largely gone unchanged, even as AOMs have proven highly effective and cost analyses have shown that they would lead to substantial government savings … For far too long, outdated regulations have blocked highly effective treatment for millions of Americans. Instead of treating obesity, the current policy forces doctors to treat everything but obesity. It means that the most vulnerable Americans are forced to suffer and get sicker even as treatment is widely available. It’s time that this changes. As President Trump looks to reform healthcare and save money, this proposed rule should be at the top of his priority list.”
WISCONSIN
The Cap Times | By Chris Ford, Emergency Medicine Physician
“Obesity is not a choice. It is a chronic, progressive disease with severe health consequences, yet Medicare continues to deny millions of older Americans access to effective, FDA-approved anti-obesity medications. The time for action is now. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must finalize the rule to allow Medicare to cover these life-changing treatments.”
NATIONAL
The Washington Times | By Sally C. Pipes and Wayne Winegarden, Policy Experts
“Medicare … does cover medically necessary weight-gain drugs to treat patients living with physical wasting disease. These patients are afflicted with advanced-stage cancer, heart disease and HIV and experience rapid, unexplained weight loss of 5% or more, muscle atrophy and fatigue … The current policy is hypocritical. It creates an exemption for medicines that promote weight gain when used for noncosmetic purposes but does not offer the same exemption for weight loss for noncosmetic purposes. Whether through the proposed CMS rule change … would expand coverage to weight-loss drugs when medically necessary and not for cosmetic reasons — Washington must act soon to help patients.”
NATIONAL
RealClear Health | By Gerard Scimeca, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy Chairman
“By instituting the proposed rule, CMS has a unique opportunity to effectively change the trajectory of a persistent affliction that has heretofore effectively resisted treatment. Approving access to GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity for Medicare and Medicaid recipients would invariably lead to positive and lasting outcomes for millions of Americans. And by so doing, CMS can also stem the tide of the rising costs associated with the chronic afflictions correlated to obesity.”
Obesity Epidemic Comes at High Cost
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 rural communities, seniors, and communities of color, especially as related to access to care and treatment for obesity.
