An Arkansas law has expanded coverage for bariatric surgery, but not weight-loss drugs.
Under Act 628, the state’s Medicaid program and commercial plans must cover bariatric surgery — along with its preoperative and post-operative care — for individuals with “severe obesity,” defined as a BMI of greater than 40 or 35 with related conditions. The legislation went into effect Jan. 1.
Injectables were explicitly excluded from the requirements. Bariatric surgery is often considered a favorable method for weight loss by insurers.
The legislation comes amid recent shifts in policies on GLP-1 coverage and scrutiny of the drugs’ sustainability and health benefits.
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