{"id":13847,"date":"2016-12-05T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2013-12-05T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=13847"},"modified":"2013-12-05T09:00:37","modified_gmt":"2013-12-05T16:00:37","slug":"better-insurance-coverage-obamacare-for-obesity-could-be-coming-m1121","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/weight-loss\/xenical\/better-insurance-coverage-obamacare-for-obesity-could-be-coming-m1121\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Insurance Coverage Obamacare for Obesity Could Be Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Excess<\/a>
Excess weight is a major risk factor for numerous diseases and conditions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Approximately 78 million American adults are obese.<\/p>\n

Obesity increases the risk of death from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and certain types of cancer, according to a report by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Furthermore, contends the report, the psychological, social, and economic consequences of obesity are serious enough to significantly impact the overall health and well-being of the American population.<\/p>\n

Facts and Statistics About Obesity<\/strong><\/p>\n

The term \u201coverweight\u201d is defined as someone who has a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, and the term \u201cobesity\u201d refers to those with a BMI of greater than 30. An estimated 69% of American adults are overweight, and around 35% of American adults are obese. Rates of obesity are more prevalent in certain racial and ethnic groups, and are more prevalent in poorer socioeconomic groups and among those with less education. According to the ACC \/ AHA report, obese medical patients have 46% higher inpatient treatment costs, 27% more outpatient costs, and 80% higher prescription drug expenses. In 2008, the cost for caring for obese people in the US reached approximately $147 billion.<\/p>\n

The American Medical Association\u2019s Classification of Obesity as a Disease<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last summer, the American Medical Association (AMA) made the decision to label obesity as a disease<\/a>, and their reasoning was straightforward: by classifying obesity as a disease, they hope to improve health insurance reimbursement for treatment of obesity. Timothy Church, director of preventive medicine research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, applauded the decision, saying, \u201cI\u2019m okay with it if that\u2019s what it\u2019s going to take to get reimbursement for treatments.\u201d Physicians who treat a lot of obese patients think the new AMA designation will improve insurance reimbursement for lifestyle counseling, bariatric surgery, and obesity drugs.<\/p>\n

Screening Guidelines from the ACC \/ AHA Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

Insurance companies have also been under pressure from the results of a federal task force of preventive health experts, which included the recommendation that physicians screen for obesity and provide lifestyle counseling or referrals to weight loss programs. Said Church, \u201cUntil insurance companies move towards reimbursement, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll make much headway\u201d with management of obesity.<\/p>\n

\"With
With the new AMA classification of obesity as a disease, patients could see better reimbursement for medical treatments for weight loss.<\/figcaption><\/figure>Guidelines for treatment of overweight or obese patients focus on two things: body weight, and whether excess body weight is associated with medical risk. Patients with sufficient health risk due to their weight should receive comprehensive lifestyle intervention, including input from medical, nutritional, and behavioral experts. Lifestyle intervention should be the foundation for treatment of obesity, but physicians may ultimately choose to prescribe prescription weight loss drugs like Xenical or to recommend bariatric surgery.<\/p>\n

The General Process for Medical Weight Management<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the ACC \/ AHA report, the process for treating obesity should be done in a step-by-step manner:<\/p>\n