RDAC members raise alarm after HUSKY stops covering certain supplements and medical foods

Summary

Members of Connecticut—s Rare Disease Advisory Council said HUSKY (the state Medicaid program) stopped covering items it considers —over the counter— as of July 1, affecting patients with inborn errors of metabolism and other rare diseases; council agreed to pursue meetings with DSS, DDS and DPH and to contact legislative allies.

Michelle Spencer Manzan, co-chair and medical representative to the Rare Disease Advisory Council (RDAC), told the council that "as of July 1, Husky is no longer covering anything that is quote unquote over the counter," and said the change has left some patients without life-sustaining supplements and medical foods. The council discussed immediate outreach to state agencies and legislators to seek a medical exemption or other fix.

The issue matters because members said the affected products are used as standard-of-care treatments for some rare disorders. "They're refusing to pay for citrulline," Manzan said, naming a treatment she called lifesaving for urea cycle disorders. She added that coenzyme Q10 and specialized amino-acid preparations used for metabolic and mitochondrial disorders are among items no longer consistently covered. "We can't do prior auths. We can't do exemptions, and they will not call us back to even talk about the issue," she said.

Council members described cases where patients…

RDAC members raise alarm after HUSKY stops covering certain supplements and medical foods

Summary

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