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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) in introducing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, legislation to unleash federal Medicare dollars for treatments against obesity, a growing epidemic impacting an estimated 42 percent of Americans and costing the nation almost $150 billion in additional health care costs every year.
“Obesity is an epidemic in the United States that needs to be addressed, and Congress should be part of the solution to this growing problem,” said Senator Cramer. “By expanding Medicare coverage to treat obesity and improve patient health, we can prolong the lives of Americans and ultimately save taxpayer dollars by directly treating this condition, rather than just the many health issues caused by obesity.”
The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act expands Medicare to cover evidence-based obesity treatment options by allowing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to expand Medicare Part D coverage to include FDA-approved anti-obesity medications and expanding the Intensive Behavioral Therapy benefit by allowing additional types of qualified healthcare providers to offer these services.
Senator Cramer, Carper, and Cassidy are joined on this bill by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).