Obesity Related Costs...NY is close to the TOP!

[Guest guest]

> I found this interesting...WoW! Being from NY, we've got lots of $$ going

> into obesity related problems...yet so many insurances give folks the

> run-around in getting their approval for WLS! ~Sherry Dr. O'Malley

> 11/15/02 334/181

>

>

> Obesity Expenses Tax States

>

> U.S. States Pay Billions in Obesity-Related Health-Care Costs

>

> By Warner

> WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

> on Wednesday, January 21, 2004

>

>

>

> > Email to a friend > Printer-friendly version

>

> Jan. 21, 2004 -- Obesity not only puts a strain on American's health, it's

> also taking a toll on our wallets.

>

>

>

> A new study shows that obesity-related health-care costs reached an

> estimated $75 billion in 2003, and taxpayers foot the bill for about half of

those

> expenses through Medicare and Medicaid.

>

>

>

> Researchers found total obesity-related health-care costs varied greatly

> from state to state, ranging from a low of $87 million in Wyoming to a high of

> $7.7 billion in California.

>

>

>

> Taxpayer-funded Medicare and Medicaid expenses attributed to obesity were

> highest in California and New York, respectively, with a combined price tag of

> more than $5 billion.

>

>

>

> " Obesity has become a crucial health problem for our nation, and these

> findings show that the medical costs alone reflect the significance of the

> challenge, " says Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. , in a

news

> release. " Of course the ultimate cost to Americans is measured in chronic

> disease and early death. We must take responsibility both as individuals and

> working together to reduce the health toll associated with obesity. "

>

>

>

> Obesity is known to raise the risk of many chronic diseases, including type

> 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancer.

>

>

>

> Obesity Taxes State Budgets

>

> The study, published in the January issue of Obesity Research, used an

> economic model that predicted medical expenditures. Researchers say it's the

first

> time obesity-related health-care costs have been examined at the state level

> and confirms previous studies that found obesity-related medical costs

> account for a large portion of total health-care spending.

>

>

>

> Alaska and the District of Columbia spent the biggest chunk of their medical

> expenditures on obesity-related costs, which accounted for 6.7% of their

> spending. Arizona spent the least at 4% of total medical expenses.

>

>

>

> Here's how each of the 50 states and District of Columbia fared, based on

> their 2003 estimated adult obesity-related spending:

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Percent (%) of total medical expenditures devoted to obesity costs:

>

>

>

> Total obesity-related expenditures (in millions):

>

>

>

> Alabama

>

>

> 6.3

>

>

>

> $1,320

>

>

>

> Alaska

>

>

> 6.7

>

>

>

> $195

>

>

>

> Arizona

>

>

> 4.0

>

>

>

> $752

>

>

>

> Arkansas

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $663

>

>

>

> California

>

>

> 5.5

>

>

>

> $7,675

>

>

>

> Colorado

>

>

> 5.1

>

>

>

> $874

>

>

>

> Connecticut

>

>

> 4.3

>

>

>

> $856

>

>

>

> Delaware

>

>

> 5.1

>

>

>

> $207

>

>

>

> District of Columbia

>

>

> 6.7

>

>

>

> $372

>

>

>

> Florida

>

>

> 5.1

>

>

>

> $3,987

>

>

>

> Georgia

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $2,133

>

>

>

> Hawaii

>

>

> 4.9

>

>

>

> $290

>

>

>

> Idaho

>

>

> 5.3

>

>

>

> $227

>

>

>

> Illinois

>

>

> 6.1

>

>

>

> $3,439

>

>

>

> Indiana

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $1,637

>

>

>

> Iowa

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $783

>

>

>

> Kansas

>

>

> 5.5

>

>

>

> $657

>

>

>

> Kentucky

>

>

> 6.2

>

>

>

> $1,163

>

>

>

> Louisiana

>

>

> 6.4

>

>

>

> $1373

>

>

>

> Maine

>

>

> 5.6

>

>

>

> $357

>

>

>

> land

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $1,533

>

>

>

> Massachusetts

>

>

> 4.7

>

>

>

> $1,822

>

>

>

> Michigan

>

>

> 6.5

>

>

>

> $2,931

>

>

>

> Minnesota

>

>

> 5.0

>

>

>

> $1,307

>

>

>

> Mississippi

>

>

> 6.5

>

>

>

> $757

>

>

>

> Missouri

>

>

> 6.1

>

>

>

> $1,636

>

>

>

> Montana

>

>

> 4.9

>

>

>

> $175

>

>

>

> Nebraska

>

>

> 5.8

>

>

>

> $454

>

>

>

> Nevada

>

>

> 4.8

>

>

>

> $337

>

>

>

> New Hampshire

>

>

> 5.0

>

>

>

> $302

>

>

>

> New Jersey

>

>

> 5.5

>

>

>

> $2,342

>

>

>

> New Mexico

>

>

> 4.8

>

>

>

> $324

>

>

>

> New York

>

>

> 5.5

>

>

>

> $6,080

>

>

>

> North Carolina

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $2138

>

>

>

> North Dakota

>

>

> 6.1

>

>

>

> $209

>

>

>

> Ohio

>

>

> 6.1

>

>

>

> $3,304

>

>

>

> Oklahoma

>

>

> 6.0

>

>

>

> $854

>

>

>

> Oregon

>

>

> 5.7

>

>

>

> $781

>

>

>

> Pennsylvania

>

>

> 6.2

>

>

>

> $4,138

>

>

>

> Rhode Island

>

>

> 5.2

>

>

>

> $305

>

>

>

> South Carolina

>

>

> 6.2

>

>

>

> $1,060

>

>

>

> South Dakota

>

>

> 5.3

>

>

>

> $195

>

>

>

> Tennessee

>

>

> 6.4

>

>

>

> $1,840

>

>

>

> Texas

>

>

> 6.1

>

>

>

> $5,340

>

>

>

> Utah

>

>

> 5.2

>

>

>

> $393

>

>

>

> Vermont

>

>

> 5.3

>

>

>

> $141

>

>

>

> Virginia

>

>

> 5.7

>

>

>

> $1,641

>

>

>

> Washington

>

>

> 5.4

>

>

>

> $1,330

>

>

>

> West Virginia

>

>

> 6.4

>

>

>

> $588

>

>

>

> Wisconsin

>

>

> 5.8

>

>

>

> $1,486

>

>

>

> Wyoming

>

>

> 4.9

>

>

>

> $87

>

>

>

> Total

>

>

> 5.7

>

>

>

> $75,051

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> " These estimates of obesity-attributable medical expenditures present the

> best available information concerning the economic impact of obesity at the

> state level, " says researcher A. Finkelstein, an economist at RTI

> International in Research Triangle Park, N.C., in a news release.

>

>

>

> The model used to estimate obesity-related health-care costs was based on

> the 1988 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the 1996 and 1997 National

Health

> Interview Surveys.

>

>

>

> SOURCES: Finkelstein, E. Obesity Research, January 2004; vol 12. News

> release, CDC.

>

>

>

>

> © 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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