Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARNA), VIVUS, Inc. (VVUS): Payday on the Way for America’s New Epidemic Disease?

That could be, but bigger insurance reimbursement checks aren’t in the mail yet.

However, the biggest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), doesn’t cover obesity drugs as of yet. The company provides reimbursement for bariatric surgery in some cases but excludes coverage for prescription drugs or any other weight-loss medications.

Although covering more obesity treatments such as weight-loss drugs could cause insurers to feel a financial pinch at first, the companies could actually save money over the longer horizon. Mike Thompson, a principal with PwC’s global human resources practice, said that over time insurers could see a positive impact as a result of lower overall health-care costs associated with reducing obesity.

Payday someday
Not everyone agrees with the AMA’s decision to use the word “disease” in describing obesity. The group’s own Council on Science and Public Health even stated that labeling obesity as a disease could “improve health outcomes for some individuals, but may worsen outcomes for others.”

Concerns have also been raised about the use of BMI as the benchmark for determining who is obese and who isn’t. Atlantic health correspondent Dr. Richard Gunderman notes that athletes often have high BMIs but are in great shape. Gunderman observed that even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be considered obese on the AMA’s BMI scale.

The article Payday on the Way for America’s New Epidemic Disease? originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Keith Speights.

Fool contributor Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group.

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