(Washington, DC, Tuesday, March 26, 2024) – Obesity is a chronic and treatable disease that impacts the health and well-being of women throughout their lives, yet insurance coverage of obesity care is lacking. One in three women in the United States, including 57% of Black women and 44% of Hispanic women, are affected by obesity. Yet, misunderstandings around the disease have led to unfair health insurance barriers that limit a person’s ability to receive the full range of obesity care options, particularly when it comes to medications.

A new campaign, “EveryBODY Covered,” led by the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention (AWHP), is mobilizing women to advocate for insurance coverage of comprehensive obesity care. Obesity is associated with over 200 health conditions, yet less than half of employers currently cover or are considering covering the latest generation of anti-obesity medications. Medicare does not cover them and just 16 state Medicaid programs cover anti-obesity or weight-loss medications.

Millicent Gorham, CEO of the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention, discusses the impact of obesity on women, why comprehensive obesity coverage is so important and how “EveryBODY Covered” will engage women to advocate for obesity care to be covered by insurance.

SOUNDBITE 1:

WOMEN’S HEALTH AND OBESITY ARE LINKED. IF YOU CARE ABOUT MATERNAL HEALTH, CANCER PREVENTION, OR HEART DISEASE, THEN YOU NEED TO CARE ABOUT OBESITY. AS OBESITY IS A CHRONIC DISEASE,  IT’S ONLY FAIR THAT IT BE TREATED THAT WAY — BUT INSURANCE COVERAGE OF OBESITY CARE IS LACKING. THE EVERYBODY COVERED CAMPAIGN AIMS TO MOBILIZE WOMEN TO ADVOCATE FOR INSURANCE COVERAGE AND URGES EMPLOYERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ENSURE COVERAGE FOR COMPREHENSIVE OBESITY CARE.

SOUNDBITE 2:

EVEN THOUGH OBESITY HAS SERIOUS HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, MISUNDERSTANDINGS AROUND OBESITY HAVE LED TO HEALTH INSURANCE BARRIERS THAT PLACE THE FULL RANGE OF OBESITY CARE OPTIONS, PARTICULARLY MEDICATIONS, OUT OF REACH FOR MANY WOMEN. THROUGH THE EVERYBODY COVERED CAMPAIGN, WE AIM TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO ADVOCATE FOR COVERAGE AND URGE EMPLOYERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ENSURE COVERAGE FOR THE FULL RANGE OF OBESITY CARE.

For more information, please visit everybodycovered.org.