In what’s believed to be a first in the U.S., two insurance companies are being sued in the state of Washington for refusing to cover weight loss treatments including popular, new weight loss drugs.“In , obesity is recognized by the Washington State Supreme Court as a disability,” attorney Rick Spoonemore said. He is representing both plaintiffs.
The company said it regularly reviews its policies. “Insurance coverage requires trade-offs in terms of determining the services most in need of coverage while keeping member premiums at a reasonable level,” it added.But he argued the costs of medicine often come down over time, especially as generics become available. He added treating obesity now saves money later.
said heavier people are more likely to require total hip and knee replacements than patients with normal body mass indexes. “The idea that it’s all about will power and self-control ,” Spoonemore said. “The fact of the matter is that science is now caught up with that bias. As we know from science, it goes far, far beyond that.”