Medical Foods for TRICARE recipients

The House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (S.2943) in 2016. This legislation included language to improve the coverage of medical foods such as elemental formula for TRICARE recipients. TRICARE is the health care program for uniformed service members and their families.

Legislative language requiring TRICARE to cover medically necessary foods for digestive and inherited metabolic disorders was included in the Senate version of fiscal year 2017 defense bill — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), S. 2943. APFED joined other patient advocates to meet with the staff of NDAA committee members to urge support of  Sec. 704 of the Senate National Defense Authorization Act, and helped mobilize grassroot-efforts to support the bill by encouraging our patient community to contact the committee members and staff in support of the Senate medically necessary foods language.

We are deeply appreciative of all of those who worked so hard on this legislation, and to the many families who shared their stories and wrote letters and made phone calls to lawmakers.

Our work continues to ensure that those who have been prescribed elemental formula to treat eosinophil-associated diseases have affordable access to it. We are hopeful that enactment of this legislation will drive forward the efforts for expanded coverage through public and private insurers, and through Medicare and Medicaid.