Please Support the Supporting Premature Infant Nutrition Act

Please join parents, medical professionals and a growing chorus of organizations to support the Supporting Premature Infant Nutrition Act filed by Rep. Morgan McGarvey (KY-3). This bill, H.R. 4569, will ensure an exclusive human milk diet, including human milk derived-human milk fortifier, is available to all premature infants.

Here’s why this issue is so important. Preemies who spend their first days of life in the NICU, referred to as Very Low Birthweight (VLBW), are often born with an underdeveloped digestive system that cannot break down foreign proteins like cow’s milk. In the earliest and most crucial days of their life, preemies are fed human milk (either from mom or a donor) and a supplement, called fortifier, that contains extra calories and vital nutrients to help them grow.

But here’s the problem. Not all premature infants have access to fortifiers that are made of human milk because these products are not consistently covered by commercial insurance or Medicaid. Without human milk-derived human milk fortifiers, doctors are forced to use cow’s milk-based fortifiers, which put these vulnerable infants at increased risk of developing Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening illness that increases an infant’s risk of mortality to as high as 50 percent.

This legislation will require Medicaid and commercial insurance carriers to cover human milk-derived human milk fortifiers for all premature infants.

Providing access to an exclusive human milk diet will aid in reducing health disparities and expanding access to the safest nutrition for premature infants.

Please help us expand access and protect premature infants: support the H.R. 4569 today.

Dear [Lawmaker],

I’m writing to request your support for H.R. 4569 to ensure human milk derived-human milk fortifiers are available to all premature infants.

Here’s why this issue is so important. Preemies who spend their first days of life in the NICU, referred to as Very Low Birthweight (VLBW), are often born with an underdeveloped digestive system that cannot break down foreign proteins like cow’s milk. In the earliest and most crucial days of their life, preemies are fed human milk (either from mom or a donor) and a supplement, called fortifier, that contains extra calories and vital nutrients to help them grow.

But here’s the problem. Not all premature infants have access to fortifiers that are made of human milk because these products are not consistently covered by commercial insurance or Medicaid.

Without human milk-derived human milk fortifiers, doctors are forced to use cow’s milk-based fortifiers, which put these vulnerable infants at increased risk of developing Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening illness that increases an infant’s risk of mortality to as high as 50 percent.

I’m asking you to support this bill to ensure coverage for an exclusive human milk diet. Rep. McGarvey’s legislation will require Medicaid and commercial insurance carriers to cover human milk-derived human milk fortifiers for all premature infants.

Providing access to an exclusive human milk diet will aid in reducing health disparities and expanding access to the safest nutrition for premature infants.

Please help us expand access and protect premature infants: support the H.R. 4569 today.

Sincerely,
______

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