OPINION: A preventable crisis: The urgent case for GLP-1 coverage in New Mexico

Over the past decade, New Mexico has experienced the steepest rise in adult obesity rates nationwide. Today, more than a third of adults in our state (36.3%) are living with obesity. Among young adults aged 25 to 34, the number is even higher, approaching 43%.

The Trump administration’s recent announcement on most-favored-nation pricing, which would dramatically reduce prices Americans pay for obesity management medications, such as WeGovy and Ozempic — is a promising sign that the obesity epidemic is being taken seriously at the federal level, but there’s still plenty of work to do at home.

Today, obesity is one of the most pressing, but preventable, health challenges facing New Mexico, driven by health disparities and a lack of access to effective treatments. For far too many New Mexicans, the care and treatments they need to manage it remain out of reach.

That must change.

New Mexico's leaders and lawmakers have a timely opportunity to enact that much-needed change by requiring the New Mexico Health Care Authority to cover GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs under the state’s Medicaid program. This would bring life-changing treatments within reach for thousands of New Mexicans, helping to prevent diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions while reducing long-term health care costs for the state.

As we mentioned in a policy brief we developed along with the National Hispanic Health Foundation, National Hispanic Council on Aging, the American Diabetes Association, the League of United Latin American Citizens and other groups, and shared with lawmakers last week, this would be especially impactful for New Mexico’s minority populations. Being a majority-minority state, New Mexicans face unique challenges to treatment. It is predicted that by 2030, nearly 55% of Hispanic adults in New Mexico will be living with obesity. Without decisive action, New Mexico’s worsening obesity crisis will deepen existing disparities and strain the systems in place that are meant to protect the state’s most vulnerable residents.

According to a June 2023 report from the Health Equity Coalition for Chronic Disease, nearly half of Hispanic adults nationwide (45.6%) live with obesity, the second-highest rate among racial and ethnic minority groups. This disparity is even more striking among Hispanic women: nearly 8-in-10 Hispanic women are affected by overweight or obesity, compared to 6-out-of-10 non-Hispanic women.

Widening coverage is an investment that will save lives, reduce health care costs, improve health outcomes and dismantle long-standing inequities in care across the state.

Although there have been some improvements in stemming childhood obesity in New Mexico, with obesity rates for third graders decreasing for the fourth consecutive year, more work clearly needs to be done. Taking this step would ensure that not only children benefit from obesity prevention efforts, but that adults and those with low-income — especially women and Hispanic residents, who face disproportionate barriers to treatment — can finally access the same level of care and support.

Obesity-related conditions already cost New Mexico more than $2 billion each year in health care expenses, lost productivity and reduced tax revenues. By covering these anti-obesity treatments under the state’s Medicaid program, New Mexico can take a meaningful leap forward in the fight to curb obesity and build a healthier, better future for all.

Expanding Medicaid coverage for obesity treatment represents a logical extension of the state’s commitment to equitable, preventive care. Delaying action will only exacerbate existing disparities and drive higher long-term costs.

Ray Serrano is the director of research and policy for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).