February 20, 2025

Washington, DC—Americans of all ages and political persuasions overwhelmingly support extending Medicare coverage to obesity medications, according to a new Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) poll.

The results reveal a broad, bipartisan desire for government action to tackle the nation’s growing obesity epidemic as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. begins to implement the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.

Key findings include:

• 75% of Americans—including 74% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats—believe that individuals with obesity should have access to effective medical treatments, similar to those with other chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease
• 71% of Americans—including 79% of Republicans and 73% of Democrats—support the Trump administration finalizing a proposed policy change that would expand Medicare coverage to include obesity treatment, including prescription medications
• 74% of Americans—including 82% of Republicans and 74% of Democrats—support the Trump administration or Congress expanding Medicare coverage and access to intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) to help change eating and exercise habits for the treatment of obesity

These results reinforce the public’s strong support for expanding access to obesity care and policy changes that prioritize Americans' health needs.

“To achieve making America healthier, obesity must be addressed, treated and managed effectively and these survey results indicate that an overwhelming majority of Americans support the Trump administration finalizing the proposed CMS rule to expand access to obesity medications,” said Cristy Gallagher of OCAN. “By extending access to FDA-approved obesity medications for people living with obesity who lack access to comprehensive evidence-based care in Medicare, the Trump administration has the power to start fixing the nation’s chronic disease crisis.”

As Secretary Kennedy seeks to deliver on the MAHA agenda, it’s clear that expanding Medicare coverage of obesity medications is necessary to ensure that Americans can live healthier lives.

For the full poll results, see https://obesitycareadvocacynetwork.com/news/majority-trump-administration-to-expand-medicare-obesity-medications

For more information, please visit www.ObesityCareAdvocacyNetwork.org.

Methodology

The OCAN survey of 2,012 adults 18+ was conducted by Focaldata Feb. 12-13, drawing a sample designed to be statistically representative of the U.S. population. The margin of error for adults overall is +/- 2 percentage points.

About OCAN

The Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN) is a diverse group of organizations who have come together to change how the nation perceives and approaches our country’s obesity epidemic by educating and advocating for public policies and increased funding for obesity education, research, treatment, and care.