PRESENTED BY: NATHAN VENGALIL

ARTICLE BY: NANCI HELLMICH, USA TODAY

HTTP://WWW.USATODAY.COM/STORY/NEWS/NATION/2013/07/04/OBESITY-

DISEASE-INSURANCE-COVERAGE/2447217/

“Obamacare Requires Most Insurers to Tackle Obesity”

Obesity Pandemic & Greater Healthcare Costs

Obesity: medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated in individuals, leading to negative health effects Excess BMI of 30

Recent trends: 1950 – only 9.7% were obese… Today was a whopping 34.9%

obese [CDC]

Relevance to Health Costs: Health Status = f( HC, Environment, Human Biology,

Lifestyle ) Proportionality Lifestyle calls for Health Care to maintain

a constant Health Status “It costs about $1,400 more a year to treat an obese patient”

Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act

Set into action in 2010… informally called “Obamacare” Includes mandates, subsidies, and insurance exchanges

Price ceiling incorporation: On all levels from pharmaceuticals to medical procedures Act “prevents insurance companies from raising prices to be

determined unreasonable & unjustified”

Subsidy implemented also Incorporates collective tax dollars to effectively lower

governmental health care It allows insurance to be purchased at a more affordable price

However… the subsidy is only so large

To prevent shortages & compromises of care... Prevent demand & further price increases Shifting from short-term solutions to more

preventative measures Weight watchers class discounts, sponsored weight loss

seminars, even telephone counseling

However, finding an efficient balance is key: “We found 12 counseling sessions was the minimal

amount needed for significant weight loss, but we didn’t see any benefit to going over 26 sessions”

New Demand, if obesity continues to grow exponentially

Marginal Benefit

Total Benefit

Future concerns:Subset at-risk groupsExtension to other facets of lifeHow to address