Imagine as a physician having treatment available that could help someone eliminate their chronic condition but not be able to provide it — not because it is out of stock, or because they do not meet the prescribing criteria, but simply because their health care plan does not cover it.

This is the reality I see every day in my practice from patients diagnosed with obesity. Every day, I meet with people who have spent years trying to manage their disease through diet changes, exercise, behavior changes and other lifestyle modifications, and still suffer from the symptoms of their disease.

What I’m describing isn’t just affecting a small subset of the population, either. Arizona is in the midst of a public health crisis. More than two-thirds of adults in our nation are classified as having obesity or overweight, and in Arizona’s Medicaid program alone, more than one-third of beneficiaries are living with the disease, and it’s driving billions of dollars in other health complications.

If willpower alone could equal pounds shed on the scale, then most of my patients would never need to see me. The ongoing struggle many people face is due to the fact that obesity is a complex disease that can’t be cured with the same treatment approach for everyone.

Obesity is driven by a range of biological, genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors, which really needs an individualized treatment plan that can consist of different tools. It always should include counseling on diet, exercise and behavior changes, but it often needs medication or even surgery. It’s not a one-size-fits-all or even a one-size-fits-most approach. Therefore, it is vital that patients be able to access every tool in a clinician’s toolbox to treat the disease.

One major tool — GLP-1 obesity medications — remains unavailable for many Arizonans, especially low-income patients who rely on Medicaid. This treatment option represents a major medical breakthrough in obesity treatment. They not only enable significant weight loss, they also eliminate comorbidities. It begs the question: Why aren’t these drugs covered?

Time and again, the justification is the same: the medications are too expensive.

I understand the importance of fiscal prudence, which is why I argue that this talking point is misleading. It ignores the cost of doing nothing — the cost Arizona is already paying.

Untreated obesity leads people to develop a number of serious conditions such as diabetes, heart attacks, hypertension, liver failure, stroke and even some cancers, just to name a few. All of these conditions are incredibly costly to treat and often result in more trips to the emergency room, lengthier hospital stays, and the need for intensive care. A recent study found obesity resulted in $201 million in additional Medicaid spending in Arizona and had a $1.1 billion negative impact on the state’s budget. Obesity also caused households to collectively spend $694 million in higher medical costs.

When faced with the argument that the cost of GLP-1 obesity medications is too high, we must understand the facts: we are already paying for the disease. We are simply paying for the complications instead of investing in treatment that addresses the root cause.

The cost for these medications is also changing, and federal efforts could help Arizona afford Medicaid coverage. By working with drug manufacturers or through federal CMS programs such as the BALANCE Program, our state can access these medications at a lower cost.

It is worth noting that we do not deny coverage for treatment for other chronic diseases because of their cost or because patients may also need to make lifestyle changes. We do not withhold medications for hypertension or diabetes and tell patients to solve those diseases on their own. Obesity should be treated with the same seriousness and compassion as any other chronic disease. At the same time, we do have to make lifestyle counseling a more integral part of our treatment plans.

I strongly believe expanding access to comprehensive obesity treatment, including coverage for FDA-approved medications, will improve patient outcomes and reduce long-term health care costs across our system. Recent models have shown this. Healthier patients require fewer medical interventions, especially when conditions that create additional diseases and complications are treated early.

Arizona has an opportunity this legislative session to lead with evidence-based policy that recognizes obesity for what it is: a chronic disease deserving of comprehensive treatment.

Dr. Douglas Maready is chief medical officer at Forte Well-Being and president of the Arizona Obesity Organization.