MVW Nutritionals Commits to the HealthWell Foundation Cystic Fibrosis Fund

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., September 12, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Today, MVW Nutritionals announced that it will donate $0.50 per bottle from its U.S. commercial sales of vitamins to the HealthWell Foundation Vitamin and Supplement Fund for patients affected by Cystic Fibrosis.

“The recent paper and editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, MVW Nutritionals, CEO, Mike Walters, offered, makes this decision easy, even for a small company likes us.” The researchers reported a 10-year survival gap between patients in Canada and those in the United States. The editorial noted that an important observation from the study is the association between the type of insurance the patient has, and survival. When patients with CF insured by Medicaid and Medicare plus those without health insurance were excluded from the analyses, the 10-year survival gap disappeared. ¹ 

The recent paper and editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, makes this decision easy, even for a small company likes us.

Mike Walters, CEO, MVW Nutritionals

“And one potential contributor to this gap," Walters added, "is nutritional status.” In the U.S., CF patients with commercial insurance have access to “free” nutritional supplements (Ensure®, Boost®, Scandishake®, etc.) and vitamins through manufacturer programs (e.g. CFCareForward, Live2Thrive®, etc.), programs that support the CF Foundation’s Nutritional Care Guidelines. Unfortunately, those least able to afford nutritional products – the 50% insured through Medicaid and Medicare – are prohibited by government regulations from participating in these programs, effectively creating a “two-tier standard of care” based on income.

In September 2015, the CF Foundation committed to contributing $3 million annually to the HealthWell Foundation, and as a part of this decision announced the expansion of patient assistance to include vitamins and nutritional supplements. ²  The decision effectively removed “insurance type” and “cost” as a barrier to the standard care for almost 10,000 patients. “We are pleased to be able to make this commitment, with the hope that each dollar – and those of others’ who also commit their support – will help to close this gap,” said Walters.

About MVW Nutritionals

MVW Nutritionals is a privately-held company, with the mission of providing leading edge nutritional supplements and vitamins for persons who have cystic fibrosis and other gastrointestinal disorders. Our goal is to deliver exceptional product profiles, coupled with outstanding service. Today, we are pleased to offer more vitamin choices - chewable flavors, vitamin D options to support Step Increases and liquid dosing options - than any other company. To learn more about the MVW Nutritionals, please visit our website at www.mvwnutritionals.com

_{1 Annals of Internal Medicine: The Cystic Fibrosis Survival Gap: Why Do Canadians Fare Better Than Americans? (Editorial)}

_{2 Press Release, Published on September 30, 2015: CF Foundation to Transition Enrollees in its Patient Assistance Foundation to HealthWell Foundation. HealthWell to offer co-pay assistance for CF-specific, FDA-approved drugs including prescribed vitamins and
supplements.}

MEDIA CONTACT: M. Vandiver, (256) 327-9830 , melanie@mvwnutritionals.com

Source: MVW Nutritionals