Jan 29, 2008 12:31 am US/Pacific
CA Assembly Passes Infant Genetic Disorders Bill
SACRAMENTO (BCN) ―
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State Capitol in Sacramento.
The State Assembly passed a bill Monday requiring health plans and insurers to provide coverage for testing and treating inborn errors of metabolism.
Assemblymember Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, said if untreated, the inborn errors of metabolism, IEMs, in newborns can cause death, coma, seizures, cardiovascular disease and mental retardation.
The bill, AB 30, is sponsored by the March of Dimes, Evans said.
It passed the Assembly 46-30 and goes to the Senate for further review.
"California spends millions of dollars to screen babies for metabolic disorders. Then we abandon them," Evans said. "This bill will make sure they get the treatment they need for a health start to life."
Persons with IEMs have genetic disorders that affect their ability to digest food and metabolize nutrients. The bill provides coverage for special formulas, food products and nutritional supplements to treat the disorders, Evans said. Only 39 percent of the privately insured population of California has coverage for medical nutritional therapy for the IEMs, she said.
The state's newborn screening program tests all newborns for 47 different IEMs and four endocrine and 24 hemoglobin disorders, Evans said. The rare disorders occur in roughly in one of 5,000 births, and under current law, coverage for treatment is required for only one type of IEM called phenylketonuria, Evans said.
The average per patient cost for IEM treatment is roughly $3,000 for formula, $1,000 for special food products and $2,000 for nutritional supplements, Evans said. Requiring coverage under AB 30 would increase monthly premiums one cent, Evans said.
Treatment and early diagnosis could save $140.5 million annually, Evans said.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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