Treat and Reduce Obesity Act Gains Support in the U.S. House of Representatives in Record Time

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Jul 16, 2019, 10:08 ET

TAMPA, Fla., July 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2019 Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) (S595) (HR1530) has surpassed 100 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives with a total of 112 legislators supporting the Act. This critical legislation will provide Medicare beneficiaries with additional tools for weight management and obesity treatment. The bill provides the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the authority to expand the current Medicare benefit to include intensive behavioral counseling by allowing additional types of qualified healthcare providers to offer these services. The Act also allows the agency to expand Medicare Part D coverage to include FDA-approved prescription drugs for chronic weight management.

"Treating obesity and making healthier life choices are goals for many Americans, yet the obesity epidemic continues to plague communities across the country. I am happy to see momentum building for this bipartisan legislation that will help those looking to live a healthier lifestyle achieve their goals, and reduce future health-related costs and complications," said Rep. Ron Kind.

TROA was introduced during the 116th Congress by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tom Carper (D-DE) and Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Tom Reed (R-NY) and Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA). It was first introduced during the 113th Congress and again in both the 114^th and 115^th Congresses where it garnered more than 175 bipartisan supporters each Congress. However, this is the fastest that TROA has reached the 100 milestone—accomplishing it in less than five months' time.

"We continue to see great momentum with TROA in 2019. More than 93 million adult Americans are living with the disease of obesity. Legislation such as TROA is vitally important for Medicare recipients, as it will provide both healthcare professionals and patients with science-based treatments to address obesity," said Joe Nadglowski, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) President and CEO.

The OAC encourages all members of the public to advocate for the passage of the 2019 TROA by contacting your legislators by visiting ObesityAction.org/TROA.

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a more than 63,000 member-strong National non-profit organization, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals affected by the disease of obesity through education, advocacy and support.

SOURCE Obesity Action Coalition