World Vitiligo Day

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate World Vitiligo Day, raising awareness for the 3.7 million Americans living with the autoimmune condition that causes discoloration of the skin, like Erika, one of my constituents who sought a way to treat her vitiligo symptoms throughout her childhood.

Even though the FDA first approved a repigment treatment for vitiligo in 2020, access to treatments remained financially out of reach for constituents like Erika due to Virginia's classification of vitiligo as a cosmetic condition rather than what it actually is: an autoimmune disease.

Absent treatment, vitiligo patients face significant mental health burdens and stigma that contribute to their worsening health and less productivity.

While Medicare covers vitiligo treatment, Medicaid coverage varies State by State. Since Virginia classifies vitiligo as a cosmetic condition, Medicaid won't cover the treatment in our Commonwealth.

Today, I urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to certify that vitiligo is a noncosmetic autoimmune condition so that Medicaid recipients with this condition can access the life-changing treatments.

No matter where you live, you should be able to get the treatment you need when you need it.

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