Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

From Monday – Friday, October 30 – November 3, 2017, Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) advocates took to Capitol Hill to educate Congress about the goals of National Obesity Care Week (NOCW). That we as a country must change the way we care about obesity by elevating societal awareness of the disease of obesity, those affected by it, its science-based treatments and weight bias. These efforts pushed the…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

On Friday, Oct. 23, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued a FAQ, which advises against coverage exclusions for weight management as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The effort is a win for obesity treatment coverage, resulting from efforts by the Obesity Care Continuum and our partners.

The question related to weight management is as follows:

Q6: My non-grandfathered group health plan…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

During August, ASMBS President-Elect Dr. Raul Rosenthal joined with other leaders from the obesity community in meeting with Debra Eschmeyer, Executive Director of the Let’s Move campaign and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition in the Office of the First Lady. Other obesity advocates included OAC Board Chair Ted Kyle and OAC President Joe Nadglowski, TOS President Penny Gordon Larsen and TOS Executive Director Francesca Dea and AND Vice…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

OCC groups continue to lobby on behalf of the the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2015 (S.1509/HR 2404). At the time of this report, the legislation had surpassed a major milestone on the House side as now more than 100 House members have cosponsored the bill. There are currently 10 cosponsors on the Senate side.

Sponsors of the legislation are currently drafting a letter to the Congressional…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

On June 22, 2015, the Obesity Care Continuum provided comments in response to the May 22, 2015 Senate Finance Committee Chronic Disease Working Group letter to Stakeholders requesting feedback on possible solutions to improve outcomes for Medicare patients requiring chronic care.

On June 19, 2015, the OCC submitted comments in response to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposed rule regarding amendments to regulations governing employer wellness programs…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) groups continued to prepare for the eventual reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) during the 114th Congress. Both House and Senate sponsors of the bill have finally agreed on legislative language and are looking to reintroduce the bill in conjunction with the Campaign to End Obesity’s annual Breakfast of Champions event on May 13th. This is excellent timing as several OCC…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

During March, Dr. James Pitt met with the Missouri Department of Insurance (MDI) and presented ASMBS’s case for including coverage of bariatric surgery in the state’s essential health benefits (EHB) package. While MDI staff seemed supportive, they did state that the legislature would be required to act in order to add a bariatric surgery benefit. This was seen as very unlikely given the current composition of the legislature….

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

ASMBS Washington Representative Chris Gallagher joined with other leaders of the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) for the OCC’s monthly Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, which took place on March 2nd. Mr. Gallagher was joined by American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) Advocacy Committee Chair Dr. Carolynn Francavilla, The Obesity Society’s (TOS) Executive Director Francesca Dea and the Obesity Action Coalition’s (OAC) President Joe Nadglowski and Board Chair…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

On February 6, 2015, ASMBS Executive Director Georgeann Mallory and ASBP Advocacy Committee member Dr. Krishna Doniparthi traveled from Florida and Georgia, respectively, to participate in the Obesity Care Continuum’s (OCC) first monthly advocacy day during the 114th Congress.

Advocacy efforts focused on the Florida and Georgia congressional delegations — educating legislators about the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) and urging them to cosponsor the legislation when…

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Prepared by Christopher Gallagher, ASMBS Washington Representative

In early January, the 114th Congress convened with Republicans holding strong majorities in both the House and Senate. ASMBS and other member groups of the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) will be participating in a series of monthly advocacy days on Capitol Hill to foster relationships with new members of Congress as well as key GOP lawmakers in the Senate who are assuming new roles as Chairs of key…

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