Obesity

This analysis finds that, among people with large employer health plans, those with an obesity diagnosis on average have higher total and out-of-pocket spending than those without an obesity diagnosis. It also examines the cost of common surgical and pharmacological treatments for obesity. 

This brief provides an overview of the Medicaid Incentives for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (MIPCD) grants and highlights key findings from the interim evaluation of the program. The brief also places these grants in context of pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid beneficiary incentive programs and proposed programs of states that are incorporating healthy behavior incentives into Medicaid expansion waivers.

There is a groundswell of activity in local communities to support healthier lifestyles and help people make long-lasting and sustainable changes that can reduce their risk for chronic diseases. A number of provisions in the health reform law are aimed directly at improving population health by addressing conditions where Americans…

Diabetes and obesity have evolved from a national public health concern to a problem of epidemic proportions — a very costly problem. The direct medical costs and the indirect costs of diabetes are estimated at $174 billion yearly. This briefing, sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the United…

Many large employers offer financial incentives to their employees to exercise regularly, improve their diets, lose weight and quit smoking. Health reform proposals would write some of these incentives into law. But some patient advocates say that, depending on how the incentives are structured, they can make coverage more expensive…