California cuts for weight loss will cost us

By Kenneth Thorpe, special for Calmatters

This comment was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

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California simply interrupted access to critical obesity drugs for hundreds of thousands of patients.

According to the new budget signed by governor GAVIN NEWSOM, Medi-Cal-state program Medicaid-Bi was is no longer covering Weight loss medicines such as Wegovy and Zepbound, unless prescribed for the treatment of diabetes. The measure is intended to encourage fiscal responsibilityS By shortening this coverage of drugs, politicians say they will be able to save more than $ 600 million by 2029.

But they have confused everything wrong.

Obesity is an important engine in increasing health care costs as it is a major risk factor for other expensive, chronic conditions. Maintaining the treatment of obesity based on evidence, and these drugs are available more than paying themselves in the long run, making Californians healthier and more productive.

In California, approximately 3 in 5 adults are overweight or obese, including a disproportionate number of low -income Californians and colored people. This puts them at higher risk of developing many other chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Overcoming these risks can be a challenge, especially given that genetics can only represent up to 70% of the differences in human body weight. This is the main reason why the lifestyle itself has been largely unsuccessful in stopping the spread of chronic states-why the arrival of medicines to combat obesity in recent years is so revolutionary.

In 2023, the coverage of the Medi-Cal of weight loss drugs allowed more than 660,000 Californians to receive life-changing treatment. The same year, the National Obesity Percentage fell for the first time in a decade.

The quick absorption of these drugs has not just improved people’s lives. It also gave politicians a new way to reduce healthcare costs.

Some of my latest research published in Jama Network Open, emphasize A significant connection between weight loss and the less health care costsS Among the beneficiaries of Medicare with obese and at least one other related health, such as diabetes, only a 5% weight loss is associated with a drop of $ 1.262 in annual health costs or 7% average savings. 25% weight loss is not uncommon for people with obesity medicines to an amazing decline of $ 5,442 of annual health costs or 31% in savings.

This suggests that Newsom’s plan to reduce healthcare costs by withdrawing coverage for these drugs can actually increase the long -term health care costs.

According to Newsom, drugs under Medi-Cal will cost California $ 85 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year, which increases to $ 680 million to 2028-29. These figures are overestimated, even before they take into account savings from improved health. After taking into account the discounts of the federal coincidences and discounts of the drug manufacturer, the real advance costs of California would be much lower.

The supposed state savings are also pale compared to the price of untreated obesity, which in 2022. Depressed economic activity in California With nearly $ 90 billion, it costs the state government over $ 10 billion in direct health care and previous tax revenue, according to an independent report.

Based on the studies I did, California can save about $ 3,000 per patient, continuing to cover weight loss medicines.

It is true that obesity drugs require significant advance costs of Medi-Cal. But this is far more effective than paying the health complications of patients along the way. Continuing this coverage is an intelligent investment in the future of California.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.