Everyone wants to feel good when they step on the scale, but most Americans don’t necessarily feel that way. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4 out of 10 Americans suffer from obesity.

That’s where drugs like Ozempic and Wigoby may help. These have been shown to help obese adults lose weight while reducing their risk of heart attack and stroke.

There’s just one problem. Changing the number on the scale with the help of prescription drugs remains too expensive for many Americans.

“The real problem in America is that obesity as a disease state is not a standard insurance benefit. It should be a standard benefit like any other disease,” said Dr. Angela Fitch, president of the Obesity Medicine Society. .

The issues preventing more Americans from accessing the drug are cost and uncharted territory for insurance companies, she says.

More information: Costco now offers weight loss programs including Ozempic and Wegovy

Currently, Wegovy’s out-of-pocket costs average more than $1,000 a month.

Fitch blames outdated laws as the reason weight loss drugs are so expensive.

“We carved it many years ago because it was considered aesthetic. “And now I know it’s not aesthetic, so I shouldn’t carve it anymore,”’ she said.

Fitch believes Congress should intervene, starting with Medicare.

The Obesity Treatment and Reduction Act would allow Medicare to cover weight loss drugs. It is thought that if Medicare covers it, many private insurance companies will follow suit.

Medicare recently announced that weight-loss drugs will soon be covered for those with Part D coverage, but patients will need to prove they have a heart-related illness.

Fitch believes overweight Americans should be compensated before they have a heart attack or are diagnosed with heart disease.

“This is the biggest public health crisis today,” she noted.

The bill faces a tough battle in Congress. The outcome of this year’s election could have significant implications, and other weight-loss battles also appear to be brewing.

Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a statement last week calling on drug companies to lower the prices of weight-loss drugs after a study found that some drugs could be made for less than $5 a month.

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