OAC National Board Members Melinda Watman, BSN, MSN, CNM, MBA; and Angela Fitch, MD, joined OAC President Joe Nadglowski in addressing the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services to support passage of House Bill 1198 This legislation, which has been introduced by Representative Jon Santiago (D-MA-9), would effectively provide parity in coverage for obesity treatment services across public and many private health plans within the state in the same fashion that these plans currently cover care for other chronic diseases.
All three OAC representatives spoke to the need for equal access to covered comprehensive care for individuals affected by obesity. By sharing personal stories and discussing the growing development of effective treatment avenues, OAC leaders urged Committee members to act on the legislation so that health plans will no longer be able to discriminate again those who are ready to address their obesity.