House Ways and Means Passed Version of TROA
THE TREAT and REDUCE OBESITY ACT
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
H.R.4818/S.2407, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) was reintroduced in the 118th Congress by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Gwen Moore (D-WI).
The House Ways and Means Committee passed an amended version of H.R. 4818 in June 2024. The amended version of TROA would:
• Extend Medicare Part D coverage of Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved obesity medications to those who were already taking them for 12 months before becoming eligible for Medicare to ensure individuals continue to have access to their obesity medication prescriptions once they are on Medicare.
• Instruct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reconsider its national coverage decision on intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) services no later than one-year after enactment of the legislation.
Obesity in Older Adults:
● About 42.8 percent of adults aged 60 and over had obesity in 2018.1
1 Hales CM, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among adults: United States, 2017–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 360. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.
● Obesity increases the risk for over 224 medical conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, arthritis, lipid disorders, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.2
2 Michele M.A. Yuen, Health Complications of Obesity: 224 Obesity-Associated Comorbidities from a Mechanistic Perspective, Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, Volume 52, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 363-380, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gtc.2023.03.006
● The Congressional Joint Economic Committee has estimated that spending on Medicare and Medicaid is projected to incur roughly $4.1 trillion3
3 United States’ Congress Joint Economic Committee, Chapter 3 The Social Cost of Obesity, 2023 Economic Report of the President, Republican Response, p. 43, June 27, 2023. or obesity-related costs over the next decade if no action is taken.
Medicare Part D is Lagging Behind the Latest Scientific Evidence:
Since Medicare Part D was passed into law, significant medical advances have been made and the FDA has approved several new obesity medications, with more on the way. Seniors who do have coverage for obesity medications will lose access to these treatments upon entering Medicare at age 65.
Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity is Restricted:
Medicare Part B currently limits coverage for IBT to only when it is provided by a primary care provider in a primary care setting. Because of Medicare’s narrow coverage determination, registered dietitian nutritionists, obesity medicine specialists, endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, clinical psychologists, and community-based providers are prevented from providing this service to Medicare beneficiaries.
TAKE ACTION!
For more information or to co-sponsor the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, please contact:
In the House of Representatives,
Kelsi Wilson with Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) at
In the Senate:
Victoria Carle with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) at
Victoria_Carle@carper.senate.gov
Members of the Obesity Care Advocacy Network:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics • American Academy of PAs • American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine • American Diabetes Association • American Gastroenterological Association • American Psychological Association • American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery • American Society for Nutrition • Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists • Boehringer Ingelheim • ConscienHealth • Currax • Diabetes Leadership Council • Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition • Eli Lilly • Endocrine Society • Gerontological Society of America • Global Liver Institute • HealthyWomen • Intuitive Surgical • National Consumers League • National Council on Aging • National Hispanic Medical Association • National Kidney Foundation • Obesity Action Coalition • Obesity Medicine Association • Ro • STOP Obesity Alliance • The Obesity Society • WW International • YMCA of the USA