Advocates are pushing for either new regulations or the passage of a bipartisan bill sponsored in the House by Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and in the Senate by Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., with similar priorities, according to Roll Call.
Currently, Medicare covers therapy through a primary care provider, but not dieticians or psychologists.
Advocates say the move will combat health issues later in a patient’s life that stem from obesity.
“We very much continue to struggle with having obesity recognized as a disease by policymakers, health care professionals and others, and many of the organizations involved in [the Obesity Care Advocacy Network] have been advocating around this issue for more than a decade,” network cochair Joe Nadglowski told Roll Call. “It’s going to take a concerted effort, composed of multiple stakeholders, to increase access to care for people with obesity.”
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