{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2025/12/wicker-colleagues-introduce-medical-foods-and-formulas-access-act", "Wicker, Colleagues Introduce Medical Foods and Formulas Access Act", "2025-12-03", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced the Medical Foods and Formulas Access Act. This legislation would require Medicare, Medicaid, the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program, and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program to cover specialized formulas, vitamins, individual amino acids, and other medically necessary foods prescribed by a physician for patients with specific gastrointestinal and inherited metabolic disorders. The legislation ensures state and federal protection for existing coverage.\n\nJoining Senator Wicker in introducing this legislation are Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., and Representatives John Rutherford, R-Florida., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass.\n\n\u201cIt is crucial that Americans with digestive or inherited metabolic disorders have the nourishment they need. When medical food and formula is necessary, time is of the essence. Metabolic disorders are treatable with the right resources. This legislation would ensure medically necessary nutrition is covered by government health programs,\u201d said Senator Wicker.\n\n\u201cBabies and others who rely on specialized foods to keep them out of the hospital should be able to get the food they need to stay healthy,\u201d said Senator Klobuchar. \u201cOur common-sense bipartisan legislation cuts through the red tape and ensures those with medical conditions that limit the food they can eat can access the nutrition they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cPatients with cystic fibrosis, Crohn\u2019s disease or other inherited disorders can get very sick without specialized foods. They may suffer problems like stunted growth or even death if their special nutritional needs aren\u2019t met. Our bipartisan legislation would ensure government insurance plans provide coverage for the nutrition they need to thrive. It makes clear that medical nutrition is just as critical for certain patients as prescription drugs or other medical treatment are for others,\u201d said Senator Grassley.\n\n\u201cRhode Islanders shouldn't have to worry about affording what they need to eat in order to keep medical conditions in check,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse. \u201cOur legislation will allow Medicaid and CHIP to start covering the costs of foods and formulas that people need to stay healthy.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur health systems must be structured to support innovative, patient-centered treatments,\u201d said Congressman Rutherford. \u201cAs co-chair of the Crohn\u2019s and Colitis Caucus, where I advocate for those living with digestive diseases, I am excited to join Rep. McGovern to introduce this important legislation that would make medically necessary nutrition more easily accessible to patients across our nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryone deserves access to quality, comprehensive health care, including the many patients who require specialized food and formulas to address digestive disease and disorders. Medical foods and formulas are critical to a patient\u2019s health, and should be covered by insurance, just as essential prescription drugs are. Metabolic disorders can be especially dangerous for children, leading to brain damage, stunted growth, and even death. I\u2019m proud to introduce this bill to make sure everyone can get the medically necessary foods and formulas they need,\u201d said Congresswoman Dingell.\n\n\u201cAccess to health care is a human right\u2014no one should have to worry about whether they'll be able to access the medically necessary food they need to live,\u201d said Congressman McGovern. \u201cI\u2019m disgusted by the stories I hear from many of my constituents who are struggling to get medically necessary food for their child or family member because predatory insurance companies are refusing to cover prescribed foods and formulas just to pad their bottom line. Our bill breaks down barriers to care and ensures that Americans with inherited metabolic diseases or gastrointestinal conditions get the nutrition they need.\u201d\n\nFor full text of the legislation, click here.\n\nBackground:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2025/12/wicker-colleagues-introduce-medical-foods-and-formulas-access-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.447914030402899, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}