(The Center Square) – Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, announced his support for a bill aimed at helping America’s obesity crisis. 

Almost one-third of Arizona residents struggle with obesity. Specifically, 27% of Arizonans who are over 65 have obesity, the American Diabetes Association said.

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“If we’re serious about raising the next generation of healthy Arizonans, we have to treat obesity like the public health crisis it is,” Gallego said. “I’m proud to support this bill to help people get the treatment they need to live longer, healthier lives.”

The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act expands health care options for Medicare recipients who are seeking to lose weight. 

Medicare is a “federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older.” Younger individuals can be eligible for this insurance program, but they must have specific health conditions. 

Obesity among people on Medicare is quickly becoming a major health issue. According to the National Library of Medicine, in 2010, only 28% of Medicare recipients were obese. However, by 2030, this percentage is expected to increase to 47%.

This increase in obesity among these people is making them at higher risk for chronic diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and type 2 diabetes.  

A report by Emory University showed that data from 2015 indicated that 55% of Medicare recipients were treated for five or more chronic conditions annually, which accounted for more than 75% of the program’s spending. 

To put this into perspective, in 2019 dollars, an obese medicare recipient costs $2,018 more than a healthy Medicare recipient. 

To help people on Medicare lose weight, TROA would amend the Social Security Act to allow Medicare to cover weight loss drugs. Previously, federal law had an exclusionary policy that limited weight management drug treatments. 

Furthermore, TROA would also extend coverage to intensive behavior therapy. This type of therapy involves people working with professionals to help change eating and exercise habits. 

TROA seeks to expand coverage to professionals, including clinical nurse specialists, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians and community-based lifestyle counseling programs. 

This legislative proposal stipulates that the Health and Human Services secretary must submit a report no later than one year after the law takes effect. After that, a report will need to be submitted every two years. 

This bill has bipartisan support as it was introduced by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana; Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico; and Ray Luján, D-New Mexico.

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Cassidy, who is a doctor, said, “Obesity shortens your life. We have an opportunity to treat it through Medicare. Let’s do it.”

TROA was first introduced in 2013 and has been reintroduced in every subsequent congressional session.