Obesity Groups Support Passage of Maryland Senate Bill 876/House Bill 1489 to Expand Medicaid Coverage of Comprehensive Obesity Care

On behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS) — based in Maryland — and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Ac=on Coali=on (OAC), we are pleased to express our strong support for Senate Bill (SB) 496/House Bill (HB) 813, which would provide coverage for the comprehensive treatment of obesity under Maryland’s Medical Assistance Program – including coverage for intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and FDAapproved an=-obesity medica=ons.

Our organizations applaud Senator Hershey and Delegates Mar=nez, Miller, Alston, Guzzone, Hill, Kaufman, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras, and White-Holland for introducing this legislation as it will greatly improve access to comprehensive obesity care for Maryland Medicaid beneficiaries. Throughout the past decades, the prevalence of obesity has skyrocketed across our country and in Maryland, where more than 33% of adults are currently affected by obesity. Black and La=no
adults have a higher prevalence of obesity of 42% and 34%, respectively.

Despite these facts, many policymakers continue to view obesity as a lifestyle choice or personal failing. Others acknowledge that obesity is a chronic and complex disease, but they believe that all that’s needed is more personal willpower and prevention programs. These perceptions and attitudes, coupled with bias and stigma, have resulted in health insurance plans taking vastly different approaches in determining what and how obesity treatment services are covered by
insurance. It’s =me for health plans (public and private) to adopt a comprehensive benefit approach toward treating obesity.

Policy Statements Recognizing Obesity as a Disease and the Need for Treatment

Since 2013, when the American Medical Association adopted formal policy declaring obesity as a complex and chronic disease and supporting patient access to the full continuum of evidencebased obesity care, numerous federal and state policy organizations have echoed the AMA’s position. These include the National Council of Insurance Legislators, National Lieutenant Governors Association, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Veterans Health Administration, Indian Health Service, and the Federal Office of Personnel Management.

Addressing Health Disparities in Obesity Treatment

Obesity is a complex chronic disease that extends beyond individual lifestyle choices to encompass a broader landscape of social determinants and systemic factors, contributing significantly to health inequities. Disparities in obesity rates are often closely intertwined with socioeconomic status, geographic location, and access to resources. Individuals in marginalized communities face barriers to affordable and nutritious food op=ons, safe spaces for physical
activity, and unequal access to qualified providers of quality healthcare. These structural inequities exacerbate the prevalence of obesity among vulnerable populations, leading to a cycle of poor health outcomes. Tackling obesity requires a comprehensive approach.

Obesity is driven by strong biology, not by choice, and is often the root cause and driver of other health complications. A recent report found that treating obesity can reduce diabetes (-8.9%), hypertension (2.3%), heart disease (-2.6%), cancer (-1.3%), and disability (-4.7%) over 10 years in private insurance coverage and Medicare. The same assumptions can also be applied to Medicaid and state employee health plans.1

Our country must acknowledge obesity for the chronic disease that it is and take steps to treat it in the same serious fashion as other chronic disease states such as diabetes and hypertension. We strongly urge the Maryland General Assembly to support passage and enactment of SB 876/HB 1489.

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