National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention executive director John Clymer praised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for proposing to expand coverage of anti-obesity medications (AOMs). Clymer also called on the incoming Trump Administration to finalize this initiative.
CMS announced plans today to cover AOMs for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with obesity., aligning with a key provision of the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). The National Forum has advocated for TROA because AOMs can help people prevent heart disease as well as obesity. Obesity raises one’s risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and sleep disorders, all of which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
AOMs have also been shown to treat metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which similarly raises heart disease risk.
“Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity medications will help more than 7 million Americans reduce their risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke,” Clymer said. “We commend the Biden-Harris Administration for setting the wheels in motion. It will be up to the Trump-Vance Administration to finalize the coverage and make this opportunity for better health a reality for millions.”
Clymer highlighted the importance of active lifestyles and a healthy environment, alongside necessary medications, for achieving good cardiovascular health. The National Forum’s Move with the Mayor® initiative mobilizes over 200 Republican, Democratic, and independent mayors who advance programs, policies, and infrastructure changes to provide communities with opportunities to choose healthy lifestyles.
Additionally, National Forum convenings raise members’ understanding of the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being, a framework aimed at strengthening non-medical determinants of health. “As the name suggests, Vital Conditions are vital to people’s opportunity to be healthy,” Clymer said. “Providing fair opportunities for all to be healthy benefits everyone, spanning regions, races, sexes, and economic levels.”
