Severe Obesity in Adults Cost State Medicaid Programs Nearly $8 Billion in 2013
2015
Efforts to control healthcare spending while expanding Medicaid must be informed by a better understanding of the state-level medical costs associated with severe obesity. This study analyzed medical costs from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and matched them to state-level estimates of severe obesity, adjusting for self-report bias. The authors found that in 2013, severe obesity cost the U.S. $69 billion, which accounted for 60% of total obesity-related costs. Approximately 11% of the costs of severe obesity were paid for by Medicaid, 30% were paid for by Medicare and other federal programs, while 27% and 30% were paid for by private health plans, and out of pocket, respectively. Overall, severe obesity cost state Medicaid programs nearly $8 billion a year.
Severe Obesity in Adults Cost State Medicaid Programs Nearly $8 Billion in 2013
Source:
Wang YC, Pamplin J, Long MW, Ward ZJ et al. Severe Obesity in Adults Cost State Medicaid Programs Nearly $8 Billion in 2013. Health Affairs 2015; 34: 1923-1931. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0633