How to reduce the cost of overweight/obesity treatment

Overweight and obesity are common medical conditions characterized by an excess amount of adipose tissue and bodyweight. These conditions are very common in the United States, affecting over 70 percent of the adult population according to some estimates.

Having overweight or obesity increases a person’s risk of many other health conditions—type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and many others. These conditions also frequently affect mental health, contributing to long-term stress, low self-esteem, depression, and other problems.

For a person with overweight or obesity, weight reduction is the main goal of treatment and can help reduce the risk of these complications or improve the management of these complications.

Treatments for overweight and obesity have improved in recent years, with the approval of multiple new medications.

However, significant barriers exist that prevent many people from accessing these medications.

What are barriers to care?

“Barriers to care” or “barriers to healthcare” can refer to anything that prevents or limits a person’s ability to access healthcare—such as the ability to book an appointment with a healthcare provider or fill a prescription for a medication. Many barriers to healthcare exist. Limited availability for appointments, insurance coverage, and social stigma about a health condition are all examples of barriers.

In the United States, the cost of treatment is one of the most significant barriers for many health conditions, including treatment for overweight and obesity.

Reducing the cost of treatment

To emphasize something mentioned above, overweight and obesity are medical conditions that require treatment. Treatment for these conditions can have many benefits to a person’s health.

If financial barriers are preventing you or a loved one from accessing treatment for overweight or obesity, these strategies may help.

Talk to your healthcare provider

If you are planning on treating overweight/obesity with medications, you will need to work with a healthcare provider who is licensed to write these prescriptions. But this is not the only reason to work with a healthcare provider. A healthcare provider can also help with:

• Choosing a medication based on your needs.
• Managing any coexisting conditions alongside overweight/obesity treatment.
• Understanding potential side effects and drug interactions, and how to respond if you experience a side effect or interaction.
• Guidance on making changes to diet and how to exercise safely. Medications for overweight/obesity work best when used along with diet and exercise.

If you have concerns about the cost of treatment for any health condition, this is something that you can talk to your healthcare provider about.

Contact your insurance company

Cost and coverage for specific medications can vary between different insurance plans. You may need to contact your insurance provider to find out what medications are covered and what out-of-pocket costs you’ll be expected to cover.

Explore discounts, copay cards, and PAPs

There are several types of programs that can help reduce the cost of medications, and this is something that is worth looking into and discussing with your healthcare provider. Programs are not available for every medication, and there are requirements that must be met to qualify.

Two types of programs to look for:

• Copay cards. Also known as copay savings programs, copay cards are typically issued to people who have insurance through a provider or insurance they have purchased on their own. Copay cards have a discount code that will be presented to a pharmacist to apply a discount to a specific drug.
• Patient assistance programs (PAPs). These are usually for people who are uninsured or underinsured and cannot cover the cost of a medication. Eligibility and enrollment processes vary from program to program.

Another type of program to look into is called a direct-to-consumer program. These are telehealth programs offered by several drug manufacturers. Prescriptions through these services are often more affordable.