Recently, Medicare announced that it will pay for obesity treatment. Those at Medicare have determined that obesity is a disease and something that ought to be treated. Both decisions are commendable.

It’s amazing to realize that the government is in the business of deciding what is a disease and what gets treated. Officials are sitting around discussing what is and is not worthy of treatment. Is that science? When did we, the people, give the bureaucracy the right to make such decisions? It happened when we decided to let our fellow taxpayers pay the bill via Medicare and Medicaid.

I also wonder what obesity treatment Medicare will pay for? Diet pills, of course, obesity surgery perhaps, but which procedures? Will they pay Weight Watchers’ dues and for Jenny Craig food packets? How about aroma therapy or membership in a health club or perhaps a couple of weeks at a “health spa” in Arizona?

It’s not news that the government, via its programs, gets to decide what is a disease and who gets treated and which kind of treatment. It’s scary to realize politicians and bureaucrats are making these determinations. I think physicians, together with the patient, should decide what needs treating and what the treatment should be. We have the legislative and executive branches of government fully involved in our health care decisions. Shouldn’t we have the judiciary in the system too? Perhaps a supreme court of health care to decide the fairness and rationality of government health care decisions.

Dr. Frederick Holler, Auburn

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