2020-10-29 OMA Agenda - Board of Trustees

ASMBS Request

From: Hutter, Matthew,M.D. Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 7:48 AM Subject: US Preventive Services Task Force To: kotzx004@umn.edu , craigprimack@gmail.com , Kaplan, Lee M.,M.D.,Ph.D. Cc: Mattar, Samer Gamil , Georgeann Mallory

Dear Dr. Primack and Drs. Kotz/Kaplan,

We hope this email finds you well!

We are writing on behalf of the Executive Committee of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons to invite your respective organizations (The Obesity Society and the Obesity Medical Association) to join us in our effort to nominate a Recommendation Statement Topic for consideration by the United States Preventive Services Task Force ( USPSTF ). As you may be aware, the USPSTF is comprised of a panel of national experts in primary care specialties, which is mandated by Congress to making recommendations to primary care providers about clinical preventive services. This independent panel of experts systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. Since this task force is Congressionally-mandated, and funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, its recommendations carry considerable weight among federal legislative bodies that draft relevant healthcare bills. It is our hope that the current abundance in scientific evidence that endorses the preventive benefits of available, modern, comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatments for obesity will represent a compelling case for both the recommendation that these therapies be offered to patients who are struggling with overweight and obesity and their family members who may be at risk. Moreover, once the overwhelming triple aim value of weight loss therapies has been recognized by this task force, it may issue recommendations for the universal access to these life-saving therapies. The nomination process for a recommended topic is a fairly straight-forward process that is completed online and we would be happy to do that. However, we both feel that the request will probably have a more significant consideration if it is presented on behalf of our three organizations, thereby projecting a united purpose that accurately reflects the comprehensive “continuum-of-care” that should be typically practiced across the nation. We have reviewed the list of past recommendations, and I can tell you that a similar request has never been submitted in the past. If you do agree with us and would like to join us in this nomination of a topic to the USPSTF, please let us know by Friday November 20 th , 2020.