PAN Foundation submits letter in support of act to expand Medicare coverage of obesity treatment medications

The PAN Foundation submitted a letter to Senators Ben Ray Luján and Bill Cassidy, M.D., in support of S.1973, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). This critical legislation will help ensure that obesity treatment medications accessible to millions of Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare is currently barred from covering FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs) under Part D, including GLP-1 agonists and similar medications prescribed for the treatment of obesity.

Expanding Medicare Part D coverage of AOMs will help enrollees access needed medications prescribed by their healthcare providers. High out-of-pocket costs of AOMs result in patients reporting that they ration, skip, or discontinue their medications. Expanded Medicare coverage of obesity care is vital to improving health outcomes and securing long-term savings for the U.S. healthcare system and taxpayer.

Read PAN’s letters to Senator Luján and Senator Cassidy