Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN)

This week, over 100 national and state organizations representing health care professionals, patient advocacy organizations, and older American organizations, sent a coalition letter in support of passage of the Treat and Reduce?Obesity?Act (#TROA) to the #SenateFinance Committee, the #HouseWaysandMeans Committee, and the #EnergyandCommerce Committee. The message was clear: "Updating Medicare’s coverage is critical for both older Americans and our country. To that end, we call on Congress to immediately pass TROA. Doing so would provide the full continuum of care and relief for the many older Americans living with obesity, making their lives safer and healthier. Please pass this important legislation to improve and save American lives—now and into the future." Read the letter here: https://lnkd.in/gdRZYXTU

Does?the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have the legal authority to cover obesity medications? A new analysis from the Alliance for Aging Research says YES, it does; however, current guidelines leave millions without access. We need to urge Congress and the Administration to update outdated policies that don’t recognize obesity for the chronic disease that it is. It’s beyond time. Older Americans should be able to access coverage for obesity treatment. Read the report:?https://lnkd.in/ehwFncip

Since the 1980s, adult obesity rates have more than doubled—impacting more than 42% of Americans. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), an OCAN member, provides helpful resources on new innovations for obesity medications, including how to expand obesity treatment access and how Congress can play a vital role in keeping Americans healthy by passing the amended version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (#TROA). Read the article to learn how NCOA is urging Congress to make a difference:?https://lnkd.in/edwDpBxm

Twenty-five members of the Obesity Care Advocacy Network joined together to advocate for the inclusion of an amended version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) in any end-of year healthcare package. ? “It is time to move forward with a solution for removing the coverage barriers that are getting in the way of older Americans’ access to care for the disease of obesity. We, the undersigned organizations, urge Congress to take action before the end of the year and include an amended version of TROA in any end-of-year healthcare legislative package.” ? Learn more:?https://lnkd.in/eqF5-57z

Joe Nadglowski's letter in the?The New York Times?urges Congress to the pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act #TROA so that older Americans can access the treatments now available for obesity. Read more here....

In her Letter to the Editor in the East Oregonian, registered dietician Christine Guenther urges Oregon Senator Ron Wyden to pass the amended version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) before the year ends. “This bill would allow older adults already taking obesity medications to continue treatment upon enrolling in Medicare. It would also update coverage for intensive behavioral therapy for obesity, expanding access to a broader range of healthcare professionals.” Read her full LTE:?https://lnkd.in/etW6jzub

The latest study from The Lancet reveals that nearly three quarters of Americans have overweight or obesity. According to the study, the rate of obesity doubled in adults between 1990 and 2021 to more than 40 percent—and nearly tripled among girls and women aged 15 to 24 to 29 percent. Calling for major reform, the study’s authors said that the increasing rate of obesity is an epidemic. One major challenge: limited insurance coverage for treatments like intensive health behavior treatment as well as weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery. We urge you to read coverage of the findings by The New York Times: https://lnkd.in/e-YTPmrM

In their joint op-ed for DC Journal, the American Diabetes Association’s Lisa Murdock and the Obesity Action Coalition’s Joe Nadglowski highlight the importance of Medicare coverage for obesity care. “The consequences of inadequate access to obesity care and treatment are profound. Diseases linked to obesity are the primary causes of preventable deaths. By 2030, it is projected that half of the American population will live with obesity, which disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including seniors and minority communities.” Read the full op-ed:?https://lnkd.in/ejfpfBbX

Did you know that obesity-related conditions cost the U.S. healthcare system over $500 billion annually? In his Letter to the Editor in The Idaho Press, Eagle resident Travis Thompson urges Senator Mike Crapo to support the passage of the amended version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). “The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) presents a vital opportunity for Medicare to expand its coverage to include these essential services. By supporting TROA, Senator Crapo can ensure that Idaho's elderly population receives the care they desperately need to combat this pervasive disease.” Check out the entire LTE:?https://lnkd.in/eWXrgbjt

Did you know that individuals living with obesity are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with Diabetes? This November, in honor of National Diabetes Month, the Obesity Care Advocacy Network and its partners are advocating for continued coverage of obesity treatments to keep older Americans healthy. Learn more about what YOU can do to mitigate the impact of chronic disease.?https://lnkd.in/ex2QYynD