Written by Millicent Gorham
As CEO of the Alliance for Women’s Health & Prevention (AWHP), I am deeply concerned by the Kentucky Senate’s decision to continue its outdated ban on Medicaid coverage of GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity. This lack of coverage falls hardest on women, who are not only disproportionately impacted by obesity – fiscally, physically and socially – but also disproportionately reliant on Medicaid assistance.
Obesity is a complex, chronic disease – not a lifestyle choice. As Nancy Glick, Director of Food & Nutrition Policy at the National Consumers League, astutely writes in her March 31 op-ed: “Even though obesity is the nation’s most common and costly chronic disease, it is often discounted as a serious health issue and thus, obesity remains largely undiagnosed and undertreated.” (Opinion: The case for ending Kentucky’s prohibition of Medicaid coverage for weight loss drugs)
Beyond helping to address the 200 health complications associated with obesity, comprehensive treatment can reduce the financial burden the disease imposes on women and the broader state economy. In 2023 alone, obesity cost Kentucky’s Medicaid program approximately $160 million and the state nearly $800 million. Furthermore, obesity is associated with a 9% reduction in earnings and 20% lower odds of employment for women living with the disease. Expanding coverage of obesity care in Kentucky Medicaid would be a critical investment in healthier and more productive communities and a meaningful step toward helping women avoid costly associated conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Fortunately, Kentucky has the opportunity to act. In addition to lifting the outdated administrative ban that prohibits Medicaid coverage, the state can participate in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recently announced BALANCE Model. This program would help Medicaid beneficiaries living with obesity gain access to GLP-1 medications at a lower cost. I strongly encourage Kentucky to pursue this patient-centered approach, which would allow the state to preserve access to evidence-based care while responsibly addressing budgetary constraints.
GLP-1 medications are not vanity drugs – they are critical interventions for a serious chronic disease and an important tool in addressing the obesity epidemic in Kentucky. Taking these steps to expand Medicaid coverage is a smart investment in the well-being of Kentucky women and in a stronger, healthier state.