Obesity Groups Support Passage of HB 869 to Allow for Coverage of FDA-Approved Obesity Management Medications

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), The Obesity Society (TOS), and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) support House Bill (HB) 869, which is sponsored by Representative Lyons, which would require all state-regulated health plans to provide “coverage for injectable drugs to improve glucose levels or for weight loss.” Our organizations support improved access to obesity treatments that have been proven safe and effective, including nutrition counseling, behavioral and lifestyle interventions, FDA-approved obesity management medications, endobariatric procedures, and metabolic and bariatric surgery – treatment avenues that are critical to ensuring the health and productivity of all state residents.

Louisiana ranks third in states impacted by obesity with nearly 40 percent of adults living with obesity and another 32 percent affected by overweight. The total cost of obesity in the United States is $1.7 trillion, and healthcare costs are 34% higher for people with obesity. Expanding access to obesity care will help decrease the numerous illnesses and associated medical problems that plague citizens of Louisiana, while improving health outcomes and healthcare savings.

An October 2025 report from Global Data, entitled the “Economic Benefits of Obesity Treatment,” assessed previous literature findings on the value of obesity treatments to help policymakers be better informed regarding coverage and policy decisions. This included 31 studies (2012–2025) on the economic value of four major interventions — lifestyle programs, first-generation medications, modern medications, and metabolic and bariatric surgery. The report’s key takeaway was that

investing in effec-ve obesity treatments not only improves health outcomes and quality of life but also delivers meaningful savings. The estimated annual medical savings (adjusted to 2025 dollars; varies by insurance type) would be as follows: $200-$1,220 for lifestyle programs and first-gen medica-ons; $760-$4,720 for modern medications; and $940-$5,830 for metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Meanwhile, increased competition and innovation continue to place downward pressure on GLP-1 prices, and manufacturers have shown a willingness to negotiate directly with states. As such, adding coverage for FDA-approved obesity management medications would be a critical step toward ensuring that state employees who are affected by obesity have access to affordable, individualized medical coverage for science-based treatments in the same way other chronic diseases are managed, allowing them to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality that is offered to their peers. We collectively believe that expanding access to obesity medications and treatment under all state-regulated health plans will not only improve health outcomes for state residents but will also reduce healthcare costs to the state.

Finally, we urge state policymakers to be aware of legislative language used when crafting obesity medication coverage bills. For example, HB 869 uses the term “injectables” to possibly encompass all FDA-approved obesity medications when, in truth, injectables (often referred to as GLP-1s) represent just one class of medications and may preclude others that will be coming as future innovations, such as the recently approved oral medications to treat obesity. The above approach would also fail to include older and less expensive FDA-approved medications for obesity. In addition, we urge policymakers to recognize that treating obesity is not solely about “weight loss.” It’s about addressing a multifactorial and complex chronic disease.

For more information, please contact OAC, TOS, ASMBS Public Policy Advisor Chris Gallagher via email at [email protected].