WASHINGTON, July 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. government has determined obesity may qualify a person for federal Medicare aid, the Washington Post reported Friday.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Thursday said it is dropping language that had led the agency routinely to deny coverage for weight-loss therapies.
Though not all weight-loss therapies are reimbursable, the move opens the door to payments covering stomach surgery, diet programs and behavioral and psychological counseling.
"Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and die prematurely," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said in announcing the long-awaited decision.
"With this new policy, Medicare will be able to review scientific evidence in order to determine which interventions improve health outcomes for seniors and disabled Americans who are obese."
Private insurance companies, which often pattern their coverage after Medicare, welcomed the decision and signaled companies will take their cues from Medicare.
"We're going to be watching this very closely," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry's primary trade group. "We're going to be looking at what they are evaluating and what their results are."
