In 2007 AFAA spearheaded the effort to ensure that Minnesota medical insurance companies cover the cost of amino acid elemental formula for patients under physician's care. AFAA's Executive Director prepared a bill for the Minnesota Legislature, which was offered by Representative Cy Thao and Senator Patricia Torres-Ray. Dr. Allan Stillerman, one of AFAA's Medical Advisers, presented to the Medical Directors of Minnesota insurance companies the importance of covering this formula without first requiring patients to be hospitalized or in dire medical straits due to eosinophilic disorders, FPIES, and other medical conditions. In legislative hearings, lawmakers heard from families the ordeals of their children's medical nightmares and of sometimes becoming bankrupt when trying to pay thousands of dollars for animo acid elemental formula - the only sustenance their child could consume.
Conversations with the companies and their lobbyists and the MN Council of Health Plans resulted in an agreement that insurers in Minnesota would voluntarily add coverage for amino acid elemental formulas to their medical insurance policies, mirroring the legislation that was introduced (Senate File 504), and as reflected in this letter from Senator Torres-Ray. Each insurance company also submitted letters to the Minnesota Legislature promising to cover the formula, as proof of their good-faith effort to follow the intent of the proposed legislation. With these written promises to the Legislature in place, Minnesota became the only state in the U.S. that has amino acid elemental formula insurance coverage without need of a law.
Letters from Minnesota insurers can be found at the link below and can be submitted to your Minnesota insurers with claim forms along with paperwork required from your physician.
