According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about 41 percent of adults aged 60 and over had obesity in the period of 2015 through 2016, representing more than 27 million people, while the National Institutes of Health has reported that obesity and overweight are now the second leading cause of death nationally, with an estimated 300,000 deaths a year.
This has led to Congressman Ron Kind to work cross-party with three other Congressmen, Tom Reed, Raul Ruiz and Bred Wenstrup, in support of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) and the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act.
They are hoping more members of Congress can be encouraged to support the legislation.
The TROA would expand Medicare coverage of behavioural therapy for obesity and prescription drug offerings for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management, while the Ensuring Access to Lower-Cost Medicines for Seniors Act would require prescription drug plan sponsors in Medicare to cover generic drugs and biosimilars in their formularies and establish lower cost-sharing tiers. It would also prohibit them from instituting prior authorization requirements.
Advocacy Action: Can you use what is happening in the States and propose something appropriate within your healthcare system?