Take Action
The Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease has galvanized a grassroots community of tens of thousands of activists across the country — coming together to call on our Trump administration to take urgent action to expand obesity care.
HECCD is helping to generate significant momentum across the country in support of a transformational new framework that would expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include critical, FDA-approved anti-obesity medications — a move which is a key piece of the puzzle for reducing chronic disease for Americans.
And our efforts are having an impact.
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 a proposed rule to expand Medicare and Medicare coverage to cover these life-saving medications. 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.
We have mobilized grassroots supporters in all 50 states to take tens of thousands of actions directed at elected leaders — urging them to take action in support of the proposed rule.
But the work is not done. Today, we’re urging the Trump administration to continue its commitment to developing a regulatory framework to cover anti-obesity medication for those who need it most.
Why We are Taking Action
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.
Join Our Growing Grassroots Movement
Our efforts are making an impact in elevating the issue with the Trump administration, but we still need more Americans across the country to join us in making their voices heard. You can join our community and take action now in one of several ways, including: