This bill, S.F. No. 2075, introduced in the Minnesota Senate, mandates that health insurance plans cover the management and treatment of obesity. It includes the following key provisions:

1. Definitions:

   • Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment: Evidence-based interventions for weight management, delivered in person or via telehealth.
   • FDA-approved obesity medication: Medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for chronic weight management in patients with an obesity diagnosis.
   • Metabolic and bariatric surgery: Surgical interventions recognized by national and international obesity surgery organizations.

2. Required Coverage:

   • Health insurance plans must cover the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, including:
     1. Intensive health behavioral and lifestyle treatment.
     2. Metabolic and bariatric surgery.
     3. FDA-approved obesity medication.
   • Coverage requirements for obesity medications cannot be more restrictive than FDA-approved indications for their use.
   • Coverage for obesity treatment must not be subject to different deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance rules than coverage for other medical conditions.
   • Plans can apply utilization management (such as prior authorization) but must do so consistently with how they assess other medical conditions.
   • Lifestyle and behavioral treatments may include evidence-based programs, recommended by entities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and delivered in-office, virtually, or in community-based settings for accessibility.

This bill ensures that obesity is treated as a chronic disease with the same coverage protections as other medical conditions. It seeks to improve patient access to necessary treatments and reduce barriers to care.