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Currently, there are no medications that cure food allergies. Strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction. Most people outgrow their food allergies, although peanuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish are often considered lifelong allergies. Some research is being done in this area and it looks promising. Click here for research information.
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The target market for Medi-Card can be segmented by either food allergy or insect allergy. While some individuals may have both allergies, there are currently 11 million individuals with food allergies and 13 million with insect venom allergies. For reasons not fully understood, the number of individuals with allergies is increasing, especially in young children.
Food
Some individuals may be allergic to a single food or many different foods. The top eight food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, cow milk, soy, eggs, wheat, fish and shellfish.
Anaphylaxis occurs more commonly in children than in adults. The number of children with peanut and nut allergies has doubled in the last five years. Between 6 to 8 percent of children younger than 4 years of age suffer from food allergy. According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, peanut allergies in children have doubled since 2000. Parents teach children from a very young age what their triggers are and how to avoid them. Since other adults may be unaware of a child’s food allergy or underestimate the severity of an anaphylactic reaction, children must remain vigilant against contact with their triggers and must carry a self-injector with them wherever they may go.
Each year in the U.S. alone, there are 29,000 emergency room visits due to food allergy attacks, resulting more than 2,000 hospitalizations and approximately 150 deaths.
Insect venom
Insects can live in urban or rural areas and stings can occur suddenly and without warning. While insect bites can be painful, individuals who are allergic to insect venom may die from the venom exposure. There are many common insects known to cause anaphylaxis, including honeybees, yellow jackets, yellow hornets, wasps and imported fire ants. Individuals who are active in outdoor sports and recreation need to be especially vigilant about avoiding insect stings. If someone has previously had a reaction to an insect sting, they have a 60% chance of a comparable or a more severe reaction if stung again.
Anaphylactic reactions to insect venom occur in 0.5-5% of the U.S. population and account for approximately 40 to 400 deaths each year.
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Market Segmentation 
Target Market
