In the United States, Joe Biden will leave the presidency in less than two months, but his administration continues to make proposals. One of them concerns access to medications against overweight and obesity, which is a major public health problem in the United States.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Washington,
According to the latest figures from the Center for Disease Control, the main public health agency in the UNITED STATESbetween 2021 and 2023, 40% of American adults were obese. And with obesity often come from other chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
But this figure is a drop compared to the previous study which indicated that in 2020, nearly 42% of American adults were affected by obesity. There are undoubtedly multiple explanations, but among them there is undoubtedly the increasing use of medications against overweight and obesity.
And it is precisely to these drugs that the Biden administration wants to expand access, to reduce the health risks linked to obesity and the diseases that accompany it. The administration therefore proposes that these drugs be reimbursed by public health insurance in the United States: Medicare for those over 65 and Medicaid, for the poorest and disabled Americans. This was not the case until now, because obesity was not considered as a chronic disease in the same way as the others by these two programs.
Expensive medications
There is a first financial problem, because these drugs are expensive, and once again, obesity affects many Americans. There would be 7.5 million people affected by this decision. The Biden administration estimates the total cost at around $36 billion over the next decade. But other entities such as the Congressional Budget Office, considered bipartisan, believe that these figures are below reality.
The other problem is political. In less than two months, the Biden administration will hand over the keys to the Trump administration 2. So, it will not be able to put in place before leaving what for the moment is only ‘a proposal. And it’s a little difficult to know what Donald Trump’s team thinks about it.
Donald Trump’s choice for the post of Minister of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as for other medical treatments or for vaccines, has never hidden his distrust of anti-obesity drugs. Rather, he advocates a radical change in the way we eat. It is true that processed foods in the United States are heavily fortified with fatty and sugary additives.
On the other hand, Dr. Mehmet Oz, tapped to manage the Medicare and Medicaid agencies expected to pay for this measure, is a long-time supporter of these drugs. So it will be interesting to see what is decided.
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