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\n Weight loss pills available: A heap of GLP-1 pills on a blue background. Top down shot.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Opinion<\/p>\n
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\n Weight loss pills available: A heap of GLP-1 pills on a blue background. Top down shot.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
by
\n\t\t\t\t\tSHEKINAH SAMAYA-THOMAS posted 06.10.2026\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics.\u00a0Please read our guidelines for opinion pieces before submitting an\u00a0Op-Ed<\/a>. Submissions that do not adhere to our guidelines will not be considered for publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n OPINION\u2014I have lived with chronic obesity for a long time. For decades, it shaped every part of my health and increased my risk for chronic disease even though I did what doctors and public health experts told me to do by following nutrition programs, exercising, staying disciplined, and even underwent a sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgery.<\/p>\n None of these treatment options worked for me and led to my highest weight of 330 pounds. After decades of failed treatment options, my doctor finally prescribed a treatment that does work for me, a GLP-1. <\/p>\n Having access to this weight management medication changed my life and allowed me to reach a healthy BMI, which I had never experienced as an adult, and it significantly lowered my blood pressure.<\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m terrified that all that progress could be undone and return me to where I started. The treatment did not fail, but the California Medicaid (Medi-Cal) coverage for obesity medications for individuals whose primary diagnosis is chronic obesity abruptly ended January 1, 2026.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it has been suggested that these people, including myself, should \u201cmake diet changes and increase exercise,\u201d but that ignores the fact that many of us have already spent decades doing exactly that.<\/p>\n Telling someone who has exhausted every option to simply \u201ctry harder\u201d is not medical care even though every major medical organization recognizes obesity as a chronic disease. The evidence is overwhelming. Obesity is driven by biology, genetics and the environment. It is not a personal failure.\u00a0 Untreated chronic obesity can progress into diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, kidney disease, disability and other expensive conditions.<\/a> Those outcomes cost far more to manage than obesity itself, and experts warn the state may ultimately spend more as patients lose stability and require intensive care.<\/p>\n Without Medi-Cal coverage, I would be unable to afford my GLP-1 medication or any other alternative. Like many in my community, I don\u2019t have private insurance and paying out of pocket would put an impossible strain on my already tight budget. I\u2019ve researched my options without coverage and I have not found a solution. Losing access to my GLP-1 medicine means losing my stability, my health and my ability to care for my family.<\/p>\n