Bill > S3304

This bill seeks to provide comprehensive coverage for medically necessary food, vitamins, and individual amino acids for individuals with specific digestive and inherited metabolic disorders across federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The legislation defines "medically necessary food" as specially formulated products prescribed by healthcare practitioners to manage specific medical conditions, such as inherited metabolic disorders, malabsorption conditions, food protein allergies, and inflammatory alimentary tract diseases. The bill mandates that these federal health programs cover these specialized nutritional products, which are critical for patients who cannot digest or metabolize ordinary food, and establishes detailed criteria for what qualifies as medically necessary food. The legislation was prompted by findings that without access to these specialized nutritional products, patients risk severe health consequences including malnutrition, hospitalization, intellectual disability, and potentially death, with pediatric populations being particularly vulnerable. The bill also includes a congressional recommendation that private health insurance plans adopt similar coverage policies and ensures that states can maintain or expand their own coverage requirements beyond the federal standard.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3304/all-info