The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is forming a work group to seek a meeting with Blue Cross Blue Shield, the county’s health insurance provider, to try to maintain an employee benefit set to be cut at the end of the year.

Speaking to the board Thursday, chair Mac Elliott said coverage for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for treating obesity will soon be dropped after commissioners were told maintaining it would cost the county another $1 million next year. However, Elliott said given the host of more costly health problems that obesity can cause, an effort should be made to keep that coverage.

“ Obesity is probably the single biggest controllable risk factor,” Elliott said. “ So, we’re going to pay for the heart surgery, we’re going to pay

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