Access to Medical Foods and Vitamins in Federal Health Programs
This act aims to ensure that federal health programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP cover the costs of specialized medical foods, vitamins, and amino acids for individuals with digestive and inherited metabolic disorders. This means patients requiring special diets for health reasons will have easier access to essential products, potentially improving their health and reducing hospitalization risks. The act also encourages private insurance to offer similar coverage.
Key points
Expansion of Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP coverage to include medically necessary food, vitamins, and amino acids for individuals with specific digestive and metabolic conditions.
Definition of medically necessary food includes specially formulated products prescribed by a healthcare practitioner for dietary management of conditions preventing digestion of ordinary foodstuffs.
The act aims to reduce risks of malnutrition, surgery, and hospitalizations, especially for pediatric patients, by ensuring access to essential dietary needs.
Encouragement for private health insurers to provide similar coverage for medically necessary food as federal programs.
State laws offering broader coverage for medically necessary food will not be preempted by this act.
Introduced
Citizen Poll