Ethicon seeks to expand patient access to care through advocacy in many ways. We work diligently to educate the public, payors and referring physician communities to change perceptions and stigmas associated with morbid obesity. Our goal is to educate and inform decision makers on the health benefits of weight loss surgery in order to improve patients' access to care.
Bariatric Surgery Online Q&A Session
On June 13th, 2011 Ethicon and the Obesity Action Coalition hosted a live online question-and-answer session to provide an opportunity for those with questions about bariatric surgery to connect with a surgeon and have their questions answered in real time.
Policy Advancement
Our Healthcare Policy Economic Managers (HPEMs) in the field work with legislators, employers, policy makers and insurers to improve coverage for bariatric surgery. HPEMS help these employers and insurers understand the health impacts of obesity, the co-morbidity resolutions from weight loss surgery and the cost savings in the long run from covering weight loss surgery.
Obesity Action Coalition Creation
With approximately 33.8% of adults adults in the US alone suffering from obesity23, Ethicon recognized there was a need for an organization to create awareness and drive change to help patients who suffer from this misunderstood disease. In 2005, Ethicon helped to found the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). The OAC is now a 16,000 member-strong organization. Since their formation, Ethicon has partnered with the OAC to address a wide variety of issues from improving access to obesity treatments to combating stigma and discrimination. Some of the our greatest accomplishments include:
- Successfully fighting to save bariatric surgery benefits for state employees and/or Medicaid recipients in Virginia, Wisconsin and Tennessee.
- Successfully working to improve bariatric surgery benefits through legislation and/or regulatory changes in New Hampshire, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Kansas, Georgia, Utah and many other states.
- Working with Medicare and its contractors to improve access and create greater understanding of the needs of bariatric surgery patients.
The OAC has also accomplished the following:
- Two personal invitations to the White House to address obesity and childhood obesity.
- Successfully fighting to remove an offensive billboard by PETA that unfairly targeted the obese.
- Co-Hosted the largest public National awareness event in Washington, DC: the Walk from Obesity – Walk on the Capitol.
- Successfully removing a discriminatory IQ testing requirement from a large insurer for those seeking weight-loss surgery.
- Recently launched a public National weight and health awareness campaign – Your Weight Matters, located at www.yourweightmatters.org.
Public Awareness Campaign
With our "IT'S TIME TO DRAW THE LINE™" Campaign, we work to change the perceptions and thinking that surround those that suffer from the disease of morbid obesity. Many in society believe that these individuals are undisciplined, or that weight-loss surgery is an easy out, when in reality it takes hard work and commitment to be successful. Through advertising, public relations, outreach, patient support, and social networking, we dispel myths about obesity and weight-loss surgery. It’s time to help patients and society understand the true challenges faced by those suffering from this disease – and that there are options for change and treatment.
IT'S TIME TO DRAW THE LINE™.
Referring Physician Awareness
Ethicon also seeks to inform and educate the medical community on the disease of obesity and the resolution of co-morbid conditions after surgery in order to increase referrals to bariatric surgery for appropriate patients. Ethicon has sponsored several continuing education programs for referring physician in partnership with Discovery Health, Optum/United Healthcare, and other educational organizations.
Ethicon has recently launched a new obesity website for referring healthcare professionals. Please visit www.ees.com/obesity.
