The Biden administration announced on Friday that it is proposing a new rule to expand the coverage of anti-obesity medications for U.S. residents with Medicare and Medicaid.
The prevalence of obesity in Georgia is above the national average, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control. Obesity has grown to become what is now considered a chronic illness that affects nearly 42% of the U.S. population, according to the Biden administration.
“For millions of people, including many people in Georgia, obesity is a disease that hinders a person’s life … and access to affordable prescription drugs makes a difference about whether people can get the care that they need,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told WABE.
Obesity can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. While newly developed anti-obesity medications can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce deaths related to heart attack and stroke, for some, it can come at a high level of expense. Without insurance coverage, the medications can cost as much as $1,000 a month.
While Brooks-LaSure did not have specific data available regarding Georgia residents, she did note that the effort, if approved, would assist roughly four million people nationwide in the Medicaid program and nearly three million in Medicare.
