Organization advocates for access to critical obesity meds among Ohio employees
The Ohio Department of Administrative Services announced state employees’ coverage for GLP-1 obesity management medications will end starting July 1.
Millicent Gorham is the CEO of the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention.
“Our mission is to advance policy relating to women and girls preventive health care services so anything that can be screened, like mammograms or colorectal cancer or cervical cancer, that’s what we are trying to drive policy around,” Gorham said. “Vaccines are another big issue for us. Anything that can be used as a tool for preventive healthcare, that’s what we’re trying to advance -- policy, both at the federal and state levels.”
She said this decision from the Ohio Department of Administrative Services adversely impacts about 3,500 Ohio employees who rely on coverage for essential obesity medication.
“Obesity should be treated like any other disease,” Gorham said. “You wouldn’t subject people who are living with cardiovascular disease or diabetes to the same standards.”
According to the Food Research and Action Center, over 39% of adults in the U.S. are obese in 2024.
In Ohio, approximately 38.1% of residents are living with obesity, which is associated with over 200 health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and endometriosis.
“At some point in time down the line, the other conditions will only be exaggerated,” Gorham said. “Diabetes is going to go up, cardiovascular disease is going to go up, fertility issues are going to go up, and that’s only going to drive up the costs and expenses relating to those diseases.”
AWHP leads EveryBODY Covered, a nationwide effort in partnership with over 20 leading health organizations working to ensure that everyone has access to evidence-based obesity care.
The Ohio Department of Administrative Services stated that although coverage for the GLP-1 medications has changed, the state has numerous programs and resources in place to help employees get the support they need to achieve their weight loss goals, including health coaching, nutrition and incentive programs, as well as online classes.
It will continue to cover GLP-1s for diabetes.
This story was originally published July 16, 2025 at 5:23 AM.
