Support the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA)

s1677119

Ensuring Lasting Smi...

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hr3277119

Ensuring Lasting Smi...

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Bill ID

hr3277-119

TITLE

Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act

STATUS

Introduced

Last Action on 05/08/2025: [1000] Introduced in House

COMMITTEES

VERSIONS

INTRODUCED

email advocacy

Support the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA)

Email Subject:

One of the following will be sent depending on recipient: Default Thank Spank

I’m writing today as your constituent to urge you to become a co-sponsor for the bipartisan, bicameral Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA) (H.R.3277/S.1677), led by Senate sponsors Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and House sponsors Reps. Kim Schrier (D-WA-8) and Neal Dunn (R-FL-2).
About 4% of children in the US are born with congenital anomalies that affect the way they look, develop, or function. Many born with congenital anomalies suffer from severe oral defects (such as cleft lip or palate), skeletal defects (such as craniosynostosis), vision defects (such as congenital cataracts), hearing defects (such as microtia), or other loss of bodily functions. Individuals who do not receive timely, continuous care for their congenital anomalies face long-term physical and psychological injuries.
Most group and individual health plans state that they include coverages for congenital anomalies, and all 50 states require health insurers to provide coverage for the treatment of congenital anomalies. Despite this, health plans systematically and routinely deny or delay claims and appeals for treatment of many congenital anomalies by wrongfully categorizing certain treatments or body parts as cosmetic or not medically necessary. This common practice leaves families with the burden of paying 100% of the cost for their child's medically necessary treatments, despite maintaining private health plans. The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act will close loopholes and ensure that group and individual health plans do not deny or delay medically necessary treatments of congenital anomalies, therefore improving the health of countless Americans. ELSA would require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, to provide coverage for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect, including any medically necessary item or service to achieve normal body functioning, and it clarifies that coverage includes adjunctive dental, orthodontic, and prosthodontic support. ELSA explicitly excludes coverage of cosmetic surgeries.
In the 117th Congress, ELSA gained strong bipartisan support, and it passed in the House of Representatives with a 310-110 vote. For ELSA’s reintroduction in the 119th Congress, the bill sponsors and a broad coalition of patient-focused and professional medical organizations worked together to strengthen ELSA’s language by addressing feedback and incorporating recommendations from federal agencies. ELSA is endorsed by over 70 national health care professional and patient advocacy organizations.
Please co-sponsor the bill to help ensure this important legislation gets passed! To learn more and cosponsor, contact Sen. Baldwin’s or Sen. Ernst’s office, or Rep. Schrier’s or Rep. Dunn’s office.
Thank you in advance for supporting ELSA and for being an advocate for people born with congenital anomalies! We appreciate your help.

I’m writing today as your constituent to urge you to become an Original Co-sponsor for reintroduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA), led by Senate sponsors Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and House sponsors Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18) and Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-GA-3).
About 4% of children in the US are born with congenital anomalies that affect the way they look, develop, or function. Many born with congenital anomalies suffer from severe oral defects (such as cleft lip or palate), skeletal defects (such as craniosynostosis), vision defects (such as congenital cataracts), hearing defects (such as microtia), or other loss of bodily functions. Individuals who do not receive timely, continuous care for their congenital anomalies face long-term physical and psychological injuries.
Most group and individual health plans state that they include coverages for congenital anomalies, and all 50 states require health insurers to provide coverage for the treatment of congenital anomalies. Despite this, health plans systematically and routinely deny or delay claims and appeals for treatment of many congenital anomalies by wrongfully categorizing certain treatments or body parts as cosmetic or not medically necessary. This common practice leaves families with the burden of paying 100% of the cost for their child's medically necessary treatments, despite maintaining private health plans.
 The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act will close loopholes and ensure that group and individual health plans do not deny or delay medically necessary treatments of congenital anomalies, therefore improving the health of countless Americans. ELSA would require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, to provide coverage for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect, including any medically necessary item or service to achieve normal body functioning, and it clarifies that coverage includes adjunctive dental, orthodontic, and prosthodontic support. ELSA explicitly excludes coverage of cosmetic surgeries.
In the 117th Congress, ELSA gained strong bipartisan support from 62 US Senate cosponsors, 317 US House cosponsors, and it passed in the House of Representatives with a 310-110 vote. In preparation for ELSA’s reintroduction in the 118th Congress, the bill sponsors and a broad coalition of patient-focused and professional medical organizations have worked together to strengthen ELSA’s language by addressing feedback and incorporating recommendations from federal agencies. ELSA is endorsed by over 70 national health care professional and patient advocacy organizations.
Please co-sponsor the bill to help ensure this important legislation gets passed! To learn more and cosponsor, contact Sen. Baldwin’s or Sen. Ernst’s office or Rep. Eshoo’s or Rep. Ferguson’s office.
Thank you in advance for supporting ELSA and for being an advocate for people born with congenital anomalies! We appreciate your help.

[Your Elected Official]

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[Your City & State]

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Summary

The goal of the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA) is to provide health insurance benefits for outpatient and inpatient treatment related to any congenital anomaly. This bill ensures that any procedure related to restoring function or appearance due to a birth defect would be covered by insurance from birth until function is restored. Over 70 patient advocacy and health care professional organizations have supported this legislation.

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Your Federal Senators and Federal Representative