FARE-Priority Legislation Signed Into Law in NY State

McLEAN, VA – Dec. 12, 2024 – FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), a leading charity that supports those impacted by food allergies through advocacy, research, and education, with a unifying commitment to health equity, today is celebrating the news that legislation requiring health insurance coverage of epinephrine autoinjectors and capping the cost at $100 per pack has been signed into law.

This legislation has been a priority for FARE as it directly impacts the ability of those with food allergies to afford life-saving epinephrine, the only rescue medication available for anaphylaxis. As of July 2023, New York’s food allergy population is estimated at 1,986,974—more than 10 percent of the state’s residents including more than 300,000 children.

“Today is a day to celebrate – thanks to the hard work and efforts of Assemblyman O’Donnell, Senator Rivera, Governor Hochul, and the entire state legislature, nearly two million New York food allergy families will now be better able to afford the only medicine that can save their lives during a food allergy reaction,” said Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO, FARE. “Today’s bill signing sends a strong and clear message that food allergy families no longer have to worry about how they will afford their epinephrine – we are grateful to the leaders in Albany and our advocates statewide who helped make this law possible.” 

Because making life-saving medicine more affordable for food allergy families is our highest advocacy priority, FARE dedicated considerable resources to passing this legislation including hiring a lobbying firm, conducting 15 grassroots activities in support of it, and personally joining with New York food allergy advocates like Stacey and Jared Saiontz, Jill Mindlin and Maya Konoff, to lobby critical offices to pass the bill.

The new law will go into effect January 2026. More information about the effort can be found here.