See this article in Colorado Newsline: “This serious disease is reversible, but too many Coloradans don’t get the treatment they deserve. New medications that can treat MASLD aren’t covered by Colorado’s Medicaid program,” by Dr. Lisa Mathew.
“As a gastroenterologist, I see hundreds of patients every year who are suffering from a potentially life-threatening disease that most of them have never even heard of before entering my office: metabolic liver disease.
Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, which can develop unnoticed over several years, affects more than 40% of Hispanic patients and costs the U.S. health care system more than $100 billion annually. The most frustrating part is that this serious and sometimes lethal illness can be reversed with early identification and treatment.
MASLD is directly linked to obesity and represents an urgent yet overlooked health crisis —especially in Hispanic communities. By the time patients reach me, some are severely ill, and some will die without a liver transplant. Physicians know how to prevent MASLD: by treating obesity. Yet many patients lack access to the treatment and care that could be a lifesaver.”
SUMMARY: Disproportionate Impact and Barriers, Policy call to action
- Hispanic communities in Colorado are growing fast and have higher obesity rates and genetic predisposition to MASLD.
- Despite the AMA labeling obesity as a disease in 2013, the most effective treatments—nutritional counseling, behavioral therapy, and FDA-approved anti-obesity medications—are not covered by Colorado Medicaid.
The argument is that investing now in prevention and treatment will save lives and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Dr. Mathew urges Colorado policymakers to expand Medicaid coverage to include these less costly, early interventions and FDA-approved medications.