WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) reintroduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings. The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.
“Obesity shortens your life,”said Dr. Cassidy. “We have an opportunity to treat it through Medicare. Let’s do it.”
Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the legislation.
The following organizations have endorsed TROA this Congress: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.
Background
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. TROA would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.
###