Obesity Treatment Needs Coverage in All State Health Exchanges
Coverage Map
Do not cover bariatric surgery nor weight loss programs
Covers bariatric surgery but does not cover weight loss programs
Covers bariatric surgery and weight loss programs
Current healthcare exchanges clearly do not sufficiently cover weight loss and bariatric surgery programs. Over half of states cover neither bariatric surgery nor weight loss programs. Despite the undeniable evidence of the dangers of obesity and the efficacy of metabolic and bariatric surgery, coverage is minimal across the United States.
Sixteen states were selected by ASMBS for targeted advocacy efforts in 2014-2015. The progress of efforts in each of these states is indicated on the map below. Download the 2014-2015 "Leave No State Behind" campaign summary PDF
Heat Maps of Bariatric Surgery Coverage
These maps show the coverage of bariatric surgery across the United States. Updated February 2020; please note that Slide 1 was updated in 2022 and others will be updated soon.
Advocacy Tools
ASMBS offers contact lists, sample presentations, form letters and other tools to help you or your organization effectively mobilize to improve access to care for obesity treatment.
Obesity Care Continuum(OCC) Advocacy Efforts
The purpose of the OCC is to pool the resources of its member groups and better coordinate Federal and state advocacy efforts to secure access to, and coverage of, the continuum of care surrounding the treatment of overweight and obesity. With a combined membership of more than 125,000 patient and healthcare professional advocates, the OCC covers the full scope from nutrition, exercise and weight management through pharmacotherapy to device and surgery. The coalition is a major force in the continuing debate regarding the critical need to both prevent and treat the disease of obesity.
Read the 2014 Summary of OCC Essential Health Benefits Advocacy Efforts
State Specific Resources
Does your state not cover obesity treatment? Click on your state below to download a document containing contact information and advocacy facts for your state.
State Exchange EHB that don’t Cover Bariatric Surgery
State Exchange EHB that do Cover Bariatric Surgery
State Exchange and Bariatric Coverage News for Selected States
Read stories on advocacy efforts in your state, and learn from the efforts of other states.
Download the 2014 State Exchange and Bariatric Coverage News Summary
Presentations and Resources
Introductory and Meeting Request Letter Template
A form letter than can be used to contact a local representative regarding the inclusion of obesity treatment coverage in a state health exchange. Can also be used as starting point for testimony or presentation before your state’s Health and Human Services committee. ASMBS encourages state chapters to tailor this letter to better target their specific state’s audience.
Fact Sheet on Obesity & Bariatric Surgery
A sample draft document that the chapter can use to quickly and effectively communicate the problems caused by the epidemic of obesity, and what can be done to help improve access to obesity treatment services, such as metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Essential Health Benefits Presentation
This sample presentation may be used or modified to better inform an audience of the dangers of obesity, dispel common myths surrounding surgery, and shoe the dangers of not properly covering bariatric surgery as a treatment for obesity.
Fact Sheets
Download ASMBS fact sheets to help develop talking points and share important information with policymakers.
These fact sheets have been designed to help media outlets better understand ASMBS, metabolic and bariatric surgery, and the disease of Obesity.