There is nothing more disheartening to me than working with patients who have a treatable disease but are unable to access the most effective treatments for it. As a family physician who has specialized in treating obesity for the last decade, that is the unfortunate reality countless patients across Colorado are experiencing.

Let me break down the status of obesity care in the Centennial State. Currently, there is no requirement for private health insurance plans to provide coverage for comprehensive obesity treatment. Health First Colorado does not provide Medicaid coverage for obesity medications and only provides limited coverage for metabolic and bariatric surgery. In late January, the state employee health plan decided to limit coverage for GLP-1 obesity medications only for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea.

The explanation for denying or eliminating obesity coverage is always the same: it is too expensive and we simply cannot afford it. It is frustrating obesity treatment is handled this way given treatment for other serious diseases like cancer are never subject to the same talking points. If the only goal is to save money, then perhaps we should look at eliminating coverage for breast cancer treatment as well? While we’re at it, let’s remove coverage for intensive care unit stays or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, too. These all incur considerable health care expenses, so why not save some money and just stop covering them?

These suggestions, though ludicrous, make an important point. We do not deny coverage for these treatments because it would be inhumane to force patients to try to pay for them out of their own pockets. So then why are we asking patients with obesity to do just that?

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I think the root of the problem lies within a fundamental misunderstanding of obesity. Although credible institutions like the American Medical Association have recognized obesity as a disease for more than a decade, our society still struggles to see it as something other than a moral failing. But the truth is obesity is not just caused by someone’s lack of willpower or unwillingness to exercise and eat healthy. People can have genetic predispositions, metabolic issues and a host of other factors that make them more likely to develop this chronic disease.

Regardless of how it comes about, obesity’s consequences can be devastating. Left untreated, obesity leads people to develop a range of other conditions such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Many of these conditions are chronic, requiring a person to need continuous care in order to manage the condition effectively and at considerable cost.

If there truly is only interest in saving money, then decision-makers should consider this: the cost of doing nothing to prevent, manage and eliminate obesity is significantly higher than the cost of treating it. In Colorado, a recent study by Global Data found obesity created $2.9 billion in higher health care, absenteeism and disability costs to employers in 2023. It also led to $477 million in increased spending for the state. These are unsustainable societal costs, and it is time we treat access to obesity treatment as the priority it should be.

I am pleased to see some of our elected officials in the Colorado legislature are recognizing the importance of obesity treatment access. The Diabetes Prevention and Obesity Treatment Act introduced by Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Reps. Kyle Brown and Javier Mabrey is a commonsense piece of legislation that would require private insurance companies to provide coverage for comprehensive obesity treatment. It is sorely needed if we stand a chance at eliminating obesity and its associated conditions. It is my hope the rest of the Colorado legislature will provide their support for this bill and that its passage will spur the state employee health plan and Medicaid program to provide coverage for comprehensive obesity treatment as well.

Expanding coverage for comprehensive obesity treatment will undoubtedly result in better outcomes for patients and cost savings for the entire health care system. Healthier patients require fewer medical interventions, especially when conditions that create subsequent diseases and complications are treated early. But to make real, sustainable change, we need support from our elected officials who have the power to expand treatment access.

Dr. Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD, FOMA, DABOM, is a board-certified family medicine physician and Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine who practices in Lakewood. She is a board member of the Obesity Medicine Association and sits on the Governing Council of the AMA’s Private Practice Physician Section. She also serves as a trainer to inform other providers about the use and benefits of obesity medication.