Delaware Becomes the First State to Cover Food Allergy Prevention

State Rep. Kimberly Williams' (D-19) early introduction bill, HB 274, was signed into law by Governor John Carney at a ceremony in the Governor’s office in Wilmington.

The new law will provide all Delaware parents and guardians, including those on Medicaid, with at least one peanut and one egg infant-safe food allergen supplement at no cost to feed their infants starting at four to six months of age, aiming to reverse the rise of these food allergies by preventing them from developing in the first place.

In an interview with FARE, Rep. Kimberly Williams said, “I am thrilled to see House Bill 274 signed into law. This will make Delaware the first state in the nation to address food allergy prevention. This legislation has the power to change so many lives throughout our state. With Delaware investing early on, this will enable individuals to fully participate in normal school, sport, work, and social activities and parents will not have to worry each and every day about the health risks their child takes every time they walk out the door. I am hopeful that other states will join Delaware and pass similar legislation that will focus on prevention impacting children and their families for generations to come.”

In 2021, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Allergy Asthma & Immunology published joint guidelines making a strong recommendation that all infants, regardless of risk, be given peanut containing products and well-cooked egg containing products by 6 months of age. The guidelines were developed in response to the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study which in 2015 that found the early consumption of safe to consume peanut products by infants reduced the risk of developing a peanut allergy by 87%. Later, similar findings were replicated with egg by the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) study that was published in 2019.

The new law will save the state of Delaware and Delaware parents and guardians millions of dollars in extra health care costs and food that is safe to consume. Food allergies have a profound economic impact, and often harm those who can least afford it, as they cost the American economy more than $25 billion per year with the average family, in 2013, spending more than $4,000 in costs for each food allergic child. For those with a peanut allergy, which is generally a lifetime disease, a 2022 study found that the average cost is about $7,261 per individual per year from ages 1 to 18.

The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2025, with prevention coverage starting January 2026.