PepsiCo has reportedly decided to end coverage of GLP-1 medications for obesity for some employees beginning in October, while directing employees toward other options to continue treatment.
This is more than a benefits decision. It reflects a larger problem in healthcare: obesity is still too often treated differently from other chronic diseases.
Obesity Care Should Not Be Held to a Different Standard
Obesity is a chronic disease. Yet people living with obesity continue to face barriers to treatment that would be unacceptable for many other health conditions. When coverage is removed specifically for obesity treatment, employees living with obesity are being asked to meet a different standard of care. That is what weight bias can look like.
Weight bias is not limited to hurtful comments or stereotypes. It can also be built into policies that make it harder for people living with obesity to access appropriate, science-based treatment.
Self-Pay Does Not Fix the Problem
Employees may be directed to manufacturer self-pay programs, but paying $300 to $500 every month is not realistic for many individuals and families. People should not have to shoulder hundreds of dollars in additional monthly costs simply because the chronic disease being treated is obesity.
A Troubling Double Standard
PepsiCo is also developing products with GLP-1 consumers in mind, including products with added protein and fiber. That creates a troubling disconnect. People using GLP-1 medications should not be viewed as an important consumer audience while employees who need those same medications for obesity face new barriers to accessing treatment.
If PepsiCo is committed to affordable healthcare for all its employees, that commitment must include employees living with obesity. People living with obesity deserve the same respect, access and standard of care as anyone managing another chronic disease. Tell PepsiCo to keep obesity treatment covered and stop treating obesity differently.
What can I do to #StopWeightBias ?
Use our tool to demand PepsiCo reverse this decision and maintain equitable access to science-based obesity treatment.
