The bill S.F. No. 2075, introduced in the Minnesota Senate, mandates that health plans provide coverage for the management and treatment of obesity.

Key Provisions:

1. Definitions:

   • Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment: Evidence-based behavioral or lifestyle modification interventions for weight management, available in person or via telehealth.
   • FDA-approved obesity medication: Medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for chronic weight management in obese patients.
   • Metabolic and bariatric surgery: Surgical interventions recommended by relevant national and international medical guidelines.

2. Coverage Requirements:

   • Health plans must cover:
     • Intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatments.
     • Metabolic and bariatric surgery.
     • FDA-approved obesity medications.
   • Coverage for FDA-approved medications cannot be more restrictive than FDA guidelines.
   • Coverage for obesity treatment must be on par with coverage for other medical conditions, including deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance.
   • Utilization management (such as determining medical necessity) is allowed but must be applied consistently with how other medical treatments are evaluated.
   • Intensive behavior and lifestyle treatment programs may be certified by the CDC or recommended by current clinical standards and can be provided in various settings (office, virtual, or community-based).

This bill seeks to ensure comprehensive insurance coverage for obesity treatment, recognizing it as a chronic disease, and aims to remove restrictions that might limit patient access to evidence-based care.