National Alliance Obesity Recommendations – LVBCH to Share at Special Obesity Learning Collaborative
Employer Recommendations to Address Obesity Coverage Released
Obesity affects more than 40% of the US population with far-reaching consequences for not only individuals but employers grappling with the negative impact to workforce health. With the recent introduction of innovative new therapies to treat obesity, the standard of care is rapidly evolving. To help employers and other purchasers make informed coverage decisions about comprehensive, holistic approaches to obesity care, the nonprofit National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) released guidance from its National Obesity Advisory Council. Read the full press release from the National Alliance here.
Obesity is a complex and multifaceted chronic disease linked to more than 220 conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and certain cancers. Addressing this epidemic is critical as organizations spend twice as much on healthcare costs for individuals with obesity compared with individuals at a healthy weight.
In support of its commitment to obesity management, the Council provides guidance related to adoption of comprehensive guidelines, plan and program design, individual treatment plans, and recommendations that go beyond the traditional approaches to weight management.
The resource also offers guidance on coverage benefit decision approaches for anti-obesity medications to help employers decide how and when to cover or not cover these drugs. The coverage guidance and full report, Addressing Obesity through Holistic Design for Affordability and Sustainability, can be downloaded here.
The National Obesity Advisory Council, an experienced group of leaders from National Alliance member coalitions – including Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare (LVBCH), clinicians and other industry experts deeply involved in assessing and making recommendations about obesity coverage and treatment best practices.
LVBCH employer members are invited to attend a special employer-only Obesity Learning Collaborative Meeting on Monday, April 22, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This meeting will focus on the guidance included in the Addressing Obesity through Holistic Design for Affordability and Sustainability report, with a presentation by Dr. Angela Fitch of Known Well Health, and Margaret Rehayem of the National Alliance, followed by an opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts and experiences in a peer-to-peer discussion. For more information or to be registered to attend, please email wmanarino@lvbch.com.
“As the science of obesity evolves, employers will have better resources and tools to address the needs of their employees,” said Margaret Rehayem, Vice President, National Alliance. “Effective obesity care requires that benefits, programs and services meet people where they are and employers and other purchasers must keep their benefits adaptable.”
About National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) is the only nonprofit, purchaser-aligned organization with a national and regional structure dedicated to driving health and healthcare value across the country. Its members represent private and public sector, nonprofit, and union and Taft-Hartley organizations, and more than 45 million Americans, spending over $400 billion annually on healthcare. To learn more, visit nationalalliancehealth.org and connect on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).