OCAN Applauds Senators and Representatives for reintroducing the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act
OCAN Applauds 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) for reintroducing the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act
July 20, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – The Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) applauds 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) for reintroducing the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) today. TROA is legislation designed to effectively treat and reduce obesity in older Americans by enhancing Medicare beneficiaries’ access to healthcare providers that are best suited to administer intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) and by allowing Medicare Part D to cover Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anti-obesity medications.
The obesity epidemic has had a damaging impact on our nation’s health. Among older adults (aged 60+), the prevalence of obesity is 42.8%, similar to the level among younger and middle-aged adults. The prevalence of severe obesity among those aged 60+ is 5.8%. More than 20% of the population will be 65 years of age or older by 2030, up from 15% today, highlighting the importance of addressing obesity amongst older Americans. Congress must take steps to address this crisis before it’s too late.
Currently, intensive behavioral therapy is restricted by the types of healthcare providers that can deliver services (only primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) and it also limits the settings of care to primary care clinics. These restrictions leave many qualified specialty providers, like registered dieticians, clinical psychologists, and specialty physicians unable to deliver this important lifestyle intervention.
Unfortunately, Medicare beneficiaries do not have access to all evidence-based treatments for obesity, such as anti-obesity medications. When Medicare Part D was passed in 2003, it included language that restricted coverage of “weight loss” medications. Medicare wrongly interpreted the option as a full exclusion. Because of this error, today Medicare Part D continues to preclude older Americans, and a number of dual eligible beneficiaries, from receiving new, safe, and effective medications that have been approved by the FDA over the last decade.
The members of OCAN support and endorse the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act. It is critical that Congress pass this important legislation that will improve obesity prevention and treatment outcomes—now and into the future.
About OCAN
The Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) is a diverse group of organizations that have come together with the purpose of changing how we perceive and approach the problem of obesity in this nation. The mission of the coalition is to unite and align key obesity stakeholders and the larger obesity community around key obesity-related education, policy, and legislative efforts in order to elevate obesity on the national agenda. For more information, visit https://obesitycareadvocacynetwork.com/