The future of health care reform relies on the development of state exchanges whereby individuals can go and select among health insurance plans. But the plans must meet certain minimum requirements. One of them is that they provide “essential benefits.” The Department of Labor was instructed to conduct a survey of employer-sponsored health plans to determine the benefits typically covered by employers. The Department of  Labor (DOL)just sent its report to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  Essential Health Benefits: Overview of the Department of Labor Report on Benefits Offered Under a “Typical” Employer Health Plan – Health Reform GPS: Navigating the Implementation Process

No mention was made of obesity treatments or obesity preventive services. So the prospects of inclusion of obesity treatments in the final essential benefit package looks unlikely without a huge lobbying campaign. It is interesting that even diabetes care management was one of the least mentioned benefits with 73% of plans not mentioning it.