Women's Health Campaign Launches to Advocate for Insurance Coverage of Obesity Care

Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention convenes partners for first campaign to mobilize women in support of insurance coverage for obesity care

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EveryBODY Covered, the first campaign aiming to activate women to advocate for insurance coverage of comprehensive obesity care, was launched today by the Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention (AWHP), in partnership with ten leading organizations across the healthcare community.

EveryBODY Covered is a new campaign focused on empowering women to speak out about the need for comprehensive obesity care coverage. Though recognized as a chronic and treatable disease for over a decade, misunderstandings around obesity have led to health insurance barriers that limit a person's ability to receive the full range of obesity care options, particularly when it comes to medications.

Obesity is a chronic disease that impacts the health and well-being of women throughout their lives. More than 1 in 3 American women, including 57% of Black and 44% of Hispanic women, are affected by obesity. Women with obesity are also more likely to face harmful social stigma and discrimination?in the workplace and beyond.

Even though obesity is associated with over 200 other health conditions, less than half of employers currently cover or are considering covering the latest generation of anti-obesity medications, Medicare does not provide coverage for them and just 16 state Medicaid programs cover anti-obesity or weight-loss medications.

"Obesity is a chronic disease, and it's only fair that it should be treated that way," said Millicent Gorham, CEO and Board Chair of AWHP. "The EveryBODY Covered campaign seeks to empower women to call for obesity care to be covered by insurance?just like care for other chronic diseases is covered. We are proud to partner with other leading voices in healthcare to champion access to the full spectrum of obesity care."

Partners of the EveryBODY Covered campaign represent top voices on women's health and obesity and bring with them the invaluable perspectives of the diverse communities they serve. Current partners include Alliance for Aging Research, American Medical Women's Association, Black Women's Health Imperative, Cancer Support Community, Gerontological Society of America, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc., National Consumers League, Obesity Action Coalition, and Society for Women's Health Research.

"Obesity is a complex disease that deserves the same level of coverage and compassion as other chronic conditions," said Joseph Nadglowski, President and CEO, Obesity Action Coalition. "The EveryBODY Covered campaign is a significant stride towards ensuring women have access to the evidence-based obesity treatment options they need."

"Healthcare professionals need to be able to provide the full range of obesity care options for their patients, and patients need access to that care," said Dr. Eliza Chin, Executive Director of the American Medical Women's Association. "Obesity deserves the same level of coverage as any other chronic disease."

The EveryBODY Covered campaign will advocate for expanding coverage of obesity care by:

• Empowering women of diverse backgrounds to use their voices to share their journeys and advocate for coverage.
• Urging employers, insurers, and elected officials to ensure coverage for the full range of evidence-based obesity care and treatment. 
• Advocating for the passage of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act to ensure older adults have access to obesity treatments.
• Bringing together leading organizations working in women's health and impacted disease states to provide their unique perspectives and ensure the campaign advances access to comprehensive obesity care for everybody.

To learn more about the EveryBODY Covered campaign, please visit everybodycovered.org and follow the campaign on LinkedIn, X @everybodycvrd, Facebook and Instagram @everybodycovered.

Support for the EveryBODY Covered campaign has been provided by Eli Lilly & Co.

About AWHP
The Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) non-profit organization working to ensure that all women and girls have access to high-quality preventive care. Our mission is to advance policy that drives equitable access and prevents the burden and progression of disease to improve the lives and health of all women and girls.

For more information on AWHP, please visit WomensHealthandPrevention.org and follow us on LinkedIn and X @AWHPOrg.

SOURCE Alliance for Women's Health & Prevention