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Medicare Redefines
Obesity As An Illness Not A Disease
posted 07/21/04
Medicare now recognizes obesity as
an illness, a change in policy that may allow millions of overweight Americans
to make medical claims for treatments such as stomach surgery and diet programs.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "Obesity is a critical
public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer
unnecessary health problems and to die prematurely."
Treating obesity-related illnesses results in billions of dollars in health care
costs, Thompson said.
"With this new policy, Medicare will be able to review scientific evidence in
order to determine which interventions improve health outcomes for seniors and
disabled Americans who are obese," Thompson told a Senate panel on Thursday.
With the removal of language in Medicare policy that said obesity is not an
illness, beneficiaries will be able to request a government review of medical
evidence to determine whether certain treatments for obesity can be covered.
Though Medicare and Medicaid programs cover sicknesses caused by obesity -
including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and
gallbladder disease - the previous policy meant that weight-loss therapies have
often been denied coverage.
"The medical science will now determine whether we provide coverage for the
treatments that reduce complications and improve quality of life for the
millions of Medicare beneficiaries who are obese," said Mark McClellan,
administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which
oversees health insurance programs for the elderly, disabled and poor.
Some detractors of the change said it is based on unsound science.
"We have a tremendously exaggerated fear of higher than average weight in this
culture," said University of Colorado law professor Paul Campos, author of "The
Obesity Myth."
"What's partly baseless is this notion that the government needs to intervene to
make Americans thinner," Campos said.
HHS said the policy change is not expected to immediately alter Medicare
coverage, and no figures were provided on potential costs to taxpayers. The
Medicare agency said it may meet this fall to review scientific evidence on
various surgical procedures related .
Source: Diabetes In Control.com.
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