The obesity epidemic is a full-scale public health crisis. More than 100 million are impacted, millions within that group are afflicted by one of the 230 other serious related health conditions, and every year hundreds of thousands are losing their lives.

But the U.S. healthcare system’s current approach to fighting this crisis is inefficient and needlessly costly.

A large part of this stems from existing Medicare rules that limit coverage of FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs) to individuals with other conditions like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. As a result, individuals who could benefit from these medications to help eliminate excess weight and in turn reduce obesity-related complications, can’t benefit from these drugs.

Across the board, only 10 percent of those with obesity receive any medical help. While just two percent have access to AOMs.

In medicine, it’s always more expensive to treat a lifetime of complications than an underlying condition, but that’s exactly what the current response to obesity does. Finalizing the proposed CMS rule and covering this expansion is only estimated to cost $1,700 per beneficiary receiving treatment. In return, the decade-long savings range from $6,700-$7,100 per person.

The cost of inaction, on the other hand, is staggering: More than $9 trillion over 10 years according to Congress’s Joint Economic Committee.

There’s an opportunity to reshape our healthcare system for the better. Overhauling the current regulation will save lives and bring about major cost savings. Adopting the proposed rule is a win-win for the Trump Administration’s healthcare agenda.

Steve Sydow is the retired city electrician for Ironton and the owner of SJS Electricity.