State Medicaid Patients May Get Weight Watchers Benefit

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Facing more than $100 million in annual costs linked to obesity, the Medicaid program in one of the country’s most overweight states is turning to Weight Watchers to help residents slim down. And if it works, Connecticut and three other northeastern states might be next.

Up to 75,000 West Virginians soon will be eligible for free weight-loss courses through Weight Watchers under an effort by the state Medicaid program and the health benefits group UniCare, the state’s largest Medicaid provider.

UniCare’s Medicaid clients who obtain a physician’s referral and score within specific ranges on the fat-measuring body mass index will be eligible for up to 16 weeks of free courses from Weight Watchers, famous for its regular meetings and system of assigning points to different foods.

Advocates of the program hope the partnership will improve the health of residents in the state — which has the nation’s third-highest percentage of obese residents — and serve as a model for other states.

“It’s not just a West Virginia problem, it’s a national problem,” said John Monahan, president of state-sponsored programs for Indiana-based Wellpoint Inc, of which UniCare is a subsidiary.

If the program is successful in West Virginia, Wellpoint will consider similar programs in the 14 states where it provides benefits, Mr Monahan said. Those states are Connecticut, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Last year, Tennessee’s Medicaid agency, TennCare, completed a pilot program for 1,400 Medicaid recipients who paid nominal fees to participate in Weight Watchers. Over a six-month period, they lost a combined total of more than 8,000 pounds.

“We feel confident that this could really delay the onset of diabetes, heart disease and even stroke,” TennCare spokeswoman Marilyn Wilson said.

If such programs work on a large scale, it could be a boon not only to residents’ health, but also to fiscal stability.

Medicaid programs are available to low-income residents, who are also more likely to be overweight and obese than higher income residents.

At more than $2.1 billion, Medicaid is the largest single item in West Virginia’s state budget. The state estimates it spent nearly $140 million on medical and pharmacy costs related to obesity in fiscal year 2002, the most recent figures available.