As the incoming chairman of the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Foundation, I am aware of the skyrocketing obesity rate in our nation. In the past two decades, obesity has doubled among American adults. Fully 68% of our population is either overweight or obese.

As a result, obesity accounts for 21% of our national healthcare spending, and people with obesity who are covered under Medicare and Medicaid cost taxpayers roughly $61.8 billion per year. Significantly reducing obesity would result in an 8.5% savings in Medicare alone.

House Bill 1530, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, is a bipartisan solution that increases access to healthcare and saves taxpayer money. This legislation is a critical step in addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States by providing more funding and better treatment options by healthcare professionals, such as counseling, intervention, and drug treatment.

House Bill 1530 would help millions of Americans with obesity by expanding insurance coverage for Medicare recipients to include medications for chronic weight management to be covered by Medicare Part D, offering obesity-screening tests and providing greater access to healthcare providers specializing in obesity.

Furthermore, the legislation allows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to enhance patient access to intensive behavioral therapy for obesity by allowing trained healthcare providers to offer obesity-management services.

In addition, seniors covered under Medicare and Medicaid will have increased access to preventive care to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

This bill will lessen the burdens associated with healthcare issues for many Americans under Medicare Part D, and will also save Medicare upwards of $21 billion in the first 10 years.

All citizens deserve healthcare that is accessible and affordable. The legislation provides coordinated care that increases efficiency and efficacy, which improves healthcare quality and reduces costs. And it is a consistent update to existing laws.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, now is the time to act. We must look at long-term health care solutions that benefit a vast number of citizens, especially our seniors. Many of these individuals suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases that limit their quality of life, including diseases directly linked to obesity, such as heart disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 4 in 10 senior citizens are considered obese. What’s worse, too few of them get needed obesity treatment services. Ultimately, this bill is about guaranteeing that our senior citizens have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. Individuals affected by obesity should be afforded the same rights and access to care as those with other diseases.

Evidence suggests that without concerted action, roughly half the adult population will face obesity by 2040. This bill will offer medical care to those who need it most while investing in preventive healthcare at a cost reduction.

As healthcare costs continue to rise and Medicare faces insolvency by the year 2026, now is the time to enact a bipartisan solution to save critical Medicare funds while also increasing access to care and helping American citizens in need.

We cannot continue to allow the obesity epidemic to sweep our nation. I hope North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr will support the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act.

Graham is a Salisbury attorney, businessman, and former Republican candidate for governor.