Most obesity care not covered by insurers

Obesity is a disease, but the U.S. health care system fails to treat it like one, say doctors who treat obesity.

A study presented at Obesity Week, a meeting of such health professionals, asked more than 9,000 consumers about insurance coverage and employer support for obesity-related services and found:

• 84% are not covered for obesity drugs.

•77% are not covered for weight management programs supervised by medical professionals.

• 76% are not covered for obesity surgery.

• 72% are not covered for access to a registered dietician.

Insurance coverage for obesity treatment was somewhat more common among those (16%) who said their employers sponsored wellness programs with incentives based on weight or body mass index. But even among those people, more than two thirds lacked coverage for medication or surgery, the survey found.

The survey was conducted by Theodore Kyle of ConscienHealth. He chairs an advocacy committee for the Obesity Society, a group presenting health care professionals who treat obesity.