Governor Signs Law Named After Yorktown Girl
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill last week named after an eight-year-old Yorktown girl who suffers from a potentially fatal condition that doesn’t allow her to eat most foods.
Hannah’s Law, which state Senator Greg Ball (R,C,I/Patterson) first introduced when he was an assemblyman in 2008 and named for Hannah Devane, will amend the insurance law and require certain health insurance policies to include coverage for the cost of enteral formulas for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis and related disorders.
“Today marks a new chapter in our life, words can’t describe how happy we are as a family,” said Jessie Devane, Hannah’s mother. “This law will do so much good for so many families, giving them the opportunity to take care of their children without the financial burden.”
Hannah and other children with her condition can only obtain nourishment from special, enteral formulas, which in some cases may be ingested orally, but in other circumstances must be administered through a feeding tube. Hannah’s formula can be taken orally and carries a cost of approximately $1,200 a month, or $14,400 annually.
“Hannah is the cutest and toughest little girl I know and is an outstanding, giving member of our community,” Ball said. “Thanks to this new law, we have ensured that thousands of families are never again victimized by the system, like the Devane family.”
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