To the Editor:

As a public servant, I have always been deeply committed to fiscal responsibility and the well-being of our citizens. At every level of government, we seem to be working hard to meet the needs of our community with finite resources. At the federal level, we are deficit spending, and that puts critical programs like Medicare at risk.

Health care spending, and specifically Medicare spending, constitutes a substantial portion of our federal budget. In an era of constrained resources and rising health care costs, it is essential that we explore avenues to curb these expenses while maintaining high standards of care. One such avenue is addressing the obesity epidemic, a problem that not only exacts a toll on the health of our fellow Americans but also threatens to drive federal health spending to even greater heights if left unaddressed.

Individuals should take ownership of their health, but we must recognize that obesity is a complex issue, often influenced by genetic, environmental and socioeconomic factors. Furthermore, obesity’s impact extends far beyond individual health. It burdens our health care system with increased rates of chronic diseases, higher health care utilization and substantial costs. Currently, Medicare does not cover some of the most impactful treatments for obesity, including anti-obesity medications, which is contributing to the cost burden of the disease.

The annual report from the Joint Economic Committee, a bipartisan congressional committee tasked with reviewing economic conditions and recommending improvements in economic policy, showed that obesity will account for $520 billion in total additional health care costs in 2023 alone. That report also shows that including anti-obesity medications under Medicare would lead to significant savings for the federal government. Medicare could save $175 billion over the first 10 years once Congress acts.

If it can be achieved within the current budget framework, Congress should consider updating Medicare policy to cover obesity treatments. This solution not only offers the opportunity for improved quality of life for individuals but also promises substantial long-term health savings for the program and, by extension, the federal budget.

John A. Rowell

Grant County Commissioner