Biden administration announces proposal to expand coverage of anti-obesity medications

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, speaks before President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, at NHTI Concord Community College, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The Biden administration announced on Friday that it is proposing a new rule to expand the coverage of anti-obesity medications for U.S. residents with Medicare and Medicaid.

The prevalence of obesity in Georgia is above the national average, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control. Obesity has grown to become what is now considered a chronic illness that affects nearly 42% of the U.S. population, according to the Biden administration.

“For millions of people, including many people in Georgia, obesity is a disease that hinders a person’s life … and access to affordable prescription drugs makes a difference about whether people can get the care that they need,” Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told WABE.