Public Comment Opportunity!

Medically Necessary Foods are Not Considered an Essential Health Benefit

Here’s Your Chance to Say Why They Should Be

Take Action by January 31

This form allows you to submit a public comment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) asking them to include medically-necessary nutrition as an essential health benefit (EHB).

In your own words:

Tell CMS why medically necessary foods and specialized formulas are essential to the treatment and management of gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.
Be sure to explain the consequences, both medical and financial, when patients cannot access medically necessary foods and specialized formulas because of coverage denials and high out-of-pocket costs.

** Note: if the form below does not display, it may be blocked by your server (common for hospitals). Please use this link to directly comment on the Federal Register site.

More details

Details: CMS has issued a request for information (RFI) to gather input from the public regarding a variety of topics related to the coverage of benefits in health plans subject to the EHB requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The RFI presents an opportunity to advocate for improved coverage of medically necessary foods, including specialized formulas, by adding it as a covered EHB for individuals with gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. Patients and providers are being asked to respond to the RFI by the comment deadline of Jan. 31, 2023 with the request that medically necessary foods and specialized formulas be regarded as EHBs.