Miller-Meeks, Grassley Bill to Improve Kids’ Access to Life-Saving Medical Care Becomes Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation led by Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) which will improve access to life-saving medical care for children with complex medical conditions is now law after being signed as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 funding package.
The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, first introduced by Miller-Meeks in the 118th Congress, then reintroduced in the 119th, helps ensure children can receive specialized medical care across state lines by reducing Medicaid-related administrative barriers, while maintaining strong program integrity safeguards.
“This legislation is about putting children and families first,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks. “When a child has a complex medical condition, time matters. Families should not have to navigate endless red tape to access the best possible care for their child. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act helps ensure children can get timely, coordinated, life-saving treatment when and where it’s available.”
This legislation was also introduced in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) who had this to say of the bills passage:
“The last thing parents of children with complex medical conditions ought to battle is endless red tape to get the most effective specialist, treatment or procedure for their kids. They should be able to access this care quickly and wherever it’s available, whether that’s around the corner or across state lines. I’m glad to see the Senate approve our legislation to simplify the process so moms and dads don’t have to burn time fighting regulatory hurdles,” Grassley said.
“For children with complex medical conditions, bureaucratic red tape should not be an obstacle to care. This bipartisan legislation will make it easier for families to navigate our health care system and relieve some of the stress that they face to get their kids the care they need when they need it,” Bennet said.
This legislations passage also received strong support from the healthcare community.
“Nobody likes dealing with red tape, but when children with cancer encounter it, the stakes are exponentially higher,” said E. Anders Kolb, MD, president and CEO at Blood Cancer United. “Delays that children face when seeking out-of-state care can be dangerous, or even deadly. Our youngest cancer patients deserve better—and the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is an enormous step forward. Thank you to Representative Miller-Meeks for her leadership in passing this critical legislation.”
A full list of the 216 organizations supporting the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is available HERE.
Background:
Children with complex medical needs may not have the specialized care they need within their home state. In these instances, parents must work with health care providers and state Medicaid officials to find out-of-state care. The process is difficult and full of red tape, often delaying children and their families from receiving the care they desperately need – and in some cases blocking access to care altogether.
In order to reduce barriers to out-of-state care, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act allows states to streamline the process for out-of-state pediatric care providers to enroll in another state’s Medicaid program, while also safeguarding important program integrity processes. The legislation enables smooth coordination across state lines by clarifying the process by which state Medicaid programs can cover this care regardless of where the child lives and where their care is received.
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