Patricia’s POV

Speaker: Patricia 

My name is Patricia 

Please describe how obesity has impacted your health and well-being. 

I have been obese or overweight my whole life since I started school, elementary school. I’ve always struggled with it. I’ve tried many different, weight loss things. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Jenny Craig, Slim Fast, just a lot of different things. But over the years, my health has really gotten bad, and I think it’s all because of being overweight. I have heart disease. I’ve got AFib, I’ve got two stents in my heart. I’ve had both knees replaced. I’ve had my left hip replaced. I suffer with diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. 

Tell us about any barriers you have faced in accessing obesity care, such as insurance coverage. 

Yeah, insurance won’t pay for anything. That’s the biggest barrier because I don’t have the money to pay for it myself. So, yeah, that’s a big obstacle. I wish they would pay for stuff. But they won’t pay for the surgeries. I don’t think they’ll pay for, prescription medications to help you lose. And even if they did, my doctor wouldn’t put me on it. She just don’t believe in it.  She thinks that you’re supposed to be able to do it yourself. 

Tell us why you think health insurance should cover obesity care. 

The reason insurance companies should cover obesity care is because it is a disease. I mean, plain and simple, it’s a disease and nobody that’s obese wants to be obese. I mean, your life is impossible. If you’re obese, you have trouble doing everything. I’ve now had to hire somebody to clean my house for me. I mean, it’s just, it’s so hard. But, yeah, it’s a disease and if you tried other things and it didn’t work and you just keep gaining weight, insurance companies need to do something, because the weight is killing us. So, insurance, get with the program. Do something. Cover these operations, cover these medications. Help the people and that’s something you’re not doing.