Elemental Formula
The girls and I drove about 2 hours each way to the state capitol today. We went to show support for a bill that had public hearings today. If passed, the bill would require health insurance companies to cover elemental formula when medically necessary.
Every one of the feeding formulas on the market (including the "hypoallergenic" formulas) contains corn, soy or both. A child highly allergic to soy and corn, or either of those plus milk, has no options other than elemental formula if supplementation is necessary or if they for some reason can't breastfeed.
In some cases the child can't tolerate an element in breastmilk itself (something that can't be fixed by changes in the mother's diet). Without elemental formula, these children with multiple severe allergies would languish or even die.
The ultra-hypoallergenic elemental formula with no intact proteins is used for babies with severe allergies who can neither breastfeed nor tolerate other formulas, older kids in the same position who need some extra nutrition, and kids with eosiniphilic esophagitis.
However, the cost of elemental formula is astronomical. One family on a food allergy support group I take part in shared that her daughter's elemental formula costs about $800 per month. Obviously, many families simply cannot afford such a cost.
In many cases, paying for the elemental formula would be less expensive than paying the extra medical costs incurred by parents who, out of desperation, must continue feeding formula that causes health problems for their children. Yet health insurance plans in our state refuse to cover it--unless it's fed through a tube.
The formula is covered if fed through a tube, but not if fed by mouth. Medicaid covers it both ways, but not private health insurers.
I really hope the bill passes. So I wrote e-mails to all the senators and went to the hearing.
Unfortunately, between traffic and the weather on top of underestimating the drive time (thanks, mapquest), we got there just after the hearing ended.
At least we got to briefly meet some of the other kids and parents before they dispersed. And we got to see the capitol, which my girls found very exciting.
Every one of the feeding formulas on the market (including the "hypoallergenic" formulas) contains corn, soy or both. A child highly allergic to soy and corn, or either of those plus milk, has no options other than elemental formula if supplementation is necessary or if they for some reason can't breastfeed.
In some cases the child can't tolerate an element in breastmilk itself (something that can't be fixed by changes in the mother's diet). Without elemental formula, these children with multiple severe allergies would languish or even die.
The ultra-hypoallergenic elemental formula with no intact proteins is used for babies with severe allergies who can neither breastfeed nor tolerate other formulas, older kids in the same position who need some extra nutrition, and kids with eosiniphilic esophagitis.
However, the cost of elemental formula is astronomical. One family on a food allergy support group I take part in shared that her daughter's elemental formula costs about $800 per month. Obviously, many families simply cannot afford such a cost.
In many cases, paying for the elemental formula would be less expensive than paying the extra medical costs incurred by parents who, out of desperation, must continue feeding formula that causes health problems for their children. Yet health insurance plans in our state refuse to cover it--unless it's fed through a tube.
The formula is covered if fed through a tube, but not if fed by mouth. Medicaid covers it both ways, but not private health insurers.
I really hope the bill passes. So I wrote e-mails to all the senators and went to the hearing.
Unfortunately, between traffic and the weather on top of underestimating the drive time (thanks, mapquest), we got there just after the hearing ended.
At least we got to briefly meet some of the other kids and parents before they dispersed. And we got to see the capitol, which my girls found very exciting.
Labels: allergies, political and social issues
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Posted by purple_kangaroo at 10:53 PM[Permanent link]
8 Comments:
Aw, crumbs, PK, I'm sorry you didn't make it for the hearing itself!
I'm glad you were able to show the girls the capitol as a consolation. And thank you for calling today, it was fun chatting with you.
I agree this is one that really should be passed. I had a friend who had the same problem her son could only drink the elemental formula but she spent more on that then she did feeding the whole rest of the family in a month. It is a very sad thing that the insurance companies don't cover it unless through a tube.
Wow that is fantastic that you are able to hopfeully make a difference - here in Canada our formula Neocate which comes from the USA is not covered by any health coverage and it is also not approved for entry into the country without a specialized license. It is very frustrating. When my daughter was first diagnosed with her allergies it was costing me anywhere between $795 - $1000 per month. It is crazy. She is still on the Neocate as her body can't tolerate anything else yet but we are lucky since she has had to have an NG tube several times for feeding we are part of a HEN program that will cover her formula for 6 months then every 6 months our status is reviewed. Thankfully we were just renewed for 6 more months back in December.
Holy guacamole. I'm sorry you missed the hearing but am glad that you are getting your voice heard.
How can I help..I will to write my congress person here in VA with the info you have provided her. It bothers me deeply!
Thanks, everyone.
Chantel, thank you. Similar laws have been passed in several states already, but I'm not sure if VA is one of them. I did a little searching ans wasn't able to find the information for VA. We're in the pacific Northwest.
I'm having issues with my 1 year old daughter. She has severe allergies and even though she is breastfed, the restricted diet is very difficult for me and she isn't gaining weight. Although she's a happy baby and developing alright, her slow growth is very worrisome. I was told that maybe I should put her on formula. where can I even get the hypoallergenic elemental formula?
tigerlilly347@yahoo.com
Kat, I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's issues. Elemental formula is available only by prescription from a medical professional. So you'll need to talk to your daughter's pediatrician, dietician, allergist or whoever to get it.
I would also encourage you to NOT wean her until you are sure you've found a formula she can tolerate. Not all children can tolerate even the "hypoallergenic" elemental formulas, and breastfeeding (even a little) has huge benefits for a child's immune system development, among other things.
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