Minnesota could be a leader in requiring coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity

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We have a public health epidemic that is contributing to the rise of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions: Obesity.

As an emergency room physician, I have seen many patients come through with emergent health conditions that could have been prevented had the patient been treated for obesity. We let these preventable situations get to a point of crisis before we intervene, which only costs us more lives and money.

We know that prevention is cheaper than the treatment of a life-threatening condition.

Obesity and its complications disproportionately impact low-income individuals who cannot afford preventive treatment. Your economic status should not be a determinant of your health outcomes and yet it is, especially in this country. Why do we treat health care as a luxury that only the wealthy can afford without the risk of financial repercussions? We need to require health plans to provide coverage for these treatments in order to prevent complications for all patients, not just those who can afford treatment in the status quo.

This epidemic can easily be addressed by ensuring that everyone has access to care for obesity management and treatment. Health care is a human right, and we must treat it as such.

This is why Rep. Mike Howard, DFL-Richfield, and I have crafted SF 1053, which is a simple bill that would require state-regulated insurance plans in Minnesota to cover evidence-based treatments for obesity.

In the United States, obesity impacts nearly 42% of adults and nearly 20% of children. It’s the cause of 53% of new cases of Type 2 diabetes each year and is linked to hundreds of medical conditions including heart disease, stroke and cancer. Not to mention it is incredibly expensive. Obesity-related medical costs in the U.S. are estimated to be nearly $173 billion each year.

The data is vast, and while we have all of this information, we aren’t doing enough to prevent this common chronic disease from leading to further complications. Taking action toward preventing obesity would not only decrease medical costs, but also save people from serious health conditions and even death.

There is a stigma surrounding obesity despite the fact that scientific evidence shows that obesity is caused by several factors not due to lifestyle choices. The current administration and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aim to combat obesity through promoting clean eating and healthy lifestyles, undermining the fact that causes of obesity are more complex than just dietary choices. The American Diabetes Association and the American Medical Association both recognize obesity as a chronic disease that requires a range of treatment and prevention options. Some of these options include behavioral, dietary and physical activity interventions, but they can also include surgeries and medications.

These are evidence-based treatments, proven to assist in the management and treatment of obesity. Our bill would require coverage of all treatment options, from behavioral to medical interventions. This would indeed involve coverage of newer drugs on the market called GLP-1 drugs. Commonly known as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, among other brand names, these drugs have been shown to aid in weight loss when used as an adjunct to behavioral modifications.

The high costs of medication, nutrition services and therapy is a barrier to treatment for many people. Coverage for these medications is limited across different states and across different health insurance plans. This bill would provide consistency and Minnesota would be a leader in preventing the potential complications of obesity.

Increasing access to this treatment benefits our society as a whole, not just those impacted by obesity. We know that when our population is healthy, we have increased productivity and less strain on our health care system, which in turn reduces health care costs. Preventing complications minimizes the burden of illness on individuals, families and our communities. We save taxpayers money when we no longer need to subsidize as much money for the treatment of severe health conditions caused by obesity.

Health care is a human right, for all humans. Do we really want to live in a society where your health care is determined by your bank account? I don’t.

Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, is an emergency room physician and a member of the Minnesota Senate.