Dear [title] [last name],
I’m writing today as your constituent to urge you to please become a co-sponsor of the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA) which was reintroduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Drew Ferguson (R-GA) on March 16th, 2021 (H.R.1916/S.754).
ELSA ensures health insurance benefits for medically necessary services performed to improve, repair, or restore bodily function and services performed to approximate a normal appearance, due to a congenital anomaly or birth defect. Insurance companies often deny claims for congenital anomaly treatment as cosmetic or not medically necessary, which places the financial responsibility entirely on families. These families are acutely aware of the financial and emotional burden of medically necessary interventions that allow their children to achieve normal function and appearance. ELSA works to close these loopholes and stipulates coverage for children with craniofacial anomalies to ensure continued support for medical and dental needs from childhood into adulthood.
ELSA has strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress and over 30 patient advocacy and health care professional organizations also support this legislation.
Thank you in advance for supporting ELSA and for being an advocate for people with craniofacial anomalies! We appreciate your help.