# 116-hr-8138: Patient Access to Medical Foods Act

116-hr-8138, Patient Access to Medical Foods Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ); status Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8138
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-8138
- Congress: 116
- Title: Patient Access to Medical Foods Act
- Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced: 2020-09-01
- Sponsor: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Patient Access to Medical Foods Act This bill provides for coverage of medical foods under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and TRICARE. The bill also requires private health insurance providers to cover medical foods. Generally, a medical food is a food prescribed by a physician for the dietary management of a disease or condition. The bill expands this definition to include a food prescribed as a therapeutic option when a physician determines that traditional therapies are inappropriate for the patient. This definition shall apply to the insurance programs described above and to a federal grant program to encourage the development of drugs and medical foods for rare diseases.

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8896: AOC Act
- 116-hr-8894: Prescription Freedom Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8870: To repeal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
- 116-hr-8855: HERCULES Act
- 116-hr-8830: You Must Be Alive To Vote Act of 2020
- 116-hr-8764: Stop China’s IP Theft Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-8138 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8138)

## Related
- [116-hr-8896: AOC Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8896)
- [116-hr-8894: Prescription Freedom Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8894)
- [116-hr-8870: To repeal the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8870)
- [116-hr-8855: HERCULES Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8855)
- [116-hr-8830: You Must Be Alive To Vote Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8830)
- [116-hr-8764: Stop China’s IP Theft Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8764)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8138 (as of 2025-11-18).