NH Senate Passes Bill to Support Ins. Coverage of Surgical Weight Loss!

CONCORD — The state Senate voted 21-3 Thursday to require that insurers include bariatric surgery as an option in treating diseases and ailments caused by obesity.

The bill was introduced by state Sen. Bob Clegg, who, at 271 pounds, has lost over 105 pounds since he had bariatric surgery in September, but had to pay $20,000 out of his own pocket when his insurance company would not cover it.

Clegg, a 53-year-old Republican from Hudson, dropped from a 62 portly suit size to a 50 long since his stomach was reduced to the size of a cup. He can walk without hauling hard to draw a breath.

Clegg weighed almost 378 pounds when he decided if he was going to live any kind of life he needed to act. Clegg, who is running for Congress instead of re-election, drew inspiration from the man he backed for president — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who lost over 100 pounds through dieting and exercise.

But Clegg said his efforts to lose weight before surgery by dieting and exercise failed. His metabolism slowed to a rate where his body responded as if it was starving so he needed to keep eating.

He points out that he had to go through a number of hoops before the surgeon would perform the operation. He had to diet, get counseling and meet with a psychologist, he said.

Now, he no longer is in constant pain from digestive problems that included acid reflux and diverticulitis.

Clegg believes the long-term savings outweigh the initial costs to insurers. He points to studies that found the surgery can cure diabetes. Studies also show obesity affects fertility in women and may cause some cancers.

By July, he hopes to hit his goal of weighing 225 pounds.

Sen. Maggie Hassan noted that the state isn't required to cover bariatric surgery since it is self-insured but does so under slightly different guidelines than proposed by the bill.

The House decided in January to study a similar bill. Clegg is optimistic the House will reconsider.

Joseph Nadglowski, president and chief executive officer of the Obesity Action Coalition, said Maryland and Indiana have similar laws to the one Clegg is proposing. He said Maryland's law applies to companies with 50 or more employees. He said other states require states to offer the surgery as an option.

The state-federal Medicaid program for the poor and Medicare pay for the surgery for patients who meet certain qualifications. Nadglowski said many states also cover it, but not every commercial insurer does.

Large self-insured employers also may not provide coverage, he said.

The Florida-based coalition advocates on behalf of the obese. ###