Jennifer’s POV

“My weight gain was caused by many factors including pregnancy, hormone issues, and hereditary factors. I tried everything to try to lose weight and my cardiologist told me it was time to explore more aggressive weight loss options like GLP-1s or bariatric surgery.

This medication has been a blessing in disguise for me. I feel alive again when I’m on this medication. I have no anxiety to leave the house or even travel to places like the beach again. I am more active and more present in my life and in my family’s lives. I want to prevent the path that my grandmother, mother and the rest of my siblings went down with diabetes and heart conditions.

I realize that these medicines are expensive but so is treating the comorbidities of people living with obesity in my state. West Virginia has some of the highest rates of obesity in the country. Healthcare is also not always easily accessible in rural areas of our state.

By eliminating coverage of these medicines, health plans are simply moving money from prevention to treatment. Insurance companies will ultimately pay for these patients through treatment of their obesity-related conditions rather than paying to prevent the conditions in the first place. They are risking not only their physical health, but their mental health as well. West Virginians deserve better support in their battle against obesity and the diseases that plague them.”