Miller-Meeks, Trahan Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Health Care Access for Children
Davenport, IA –Today, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA), members of the House Energy and Commerce Committees' Health Subcommittee, reintroduced the bipartisan Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act to help children with complex medical conditions access critical care.
The legislation, which was also introduced in the Senate last Congress by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), aims to break down barriers to care for these children while maintaining necessary safeguards and reducing regulatory burdens on providers.
“The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is crucial for children battling rare and complex diseases,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks. “This legislation gives children with rare and complex diseases access to health care institutions and research facilities that are in many cases out of state. It also lessens the bureaucracy and significant wait times that bottleneck patient care and risk worsening a child’s health condition.”
“Every child should have access to the care they need, no matter where they live. That’s especially critical for the brave kids and families facing childhood cancer and other rare diseases,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act will ensure those children receive the lifesaving care they need without unnecessary delays.”
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.
Last Congress, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives, underscoring the broad bipartisan support for eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that stand between children and lifesaving care.
“The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is a great example of thoughtful bipartisan legislation that, once enacted, will solve a major problem in caring for children on Medicaid or CHIP with complex conditions who require care from out-of-state providers. This is a well-thought-out bill that respects the federal-state partnership of Medicaid and CHIP,” said Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital. “Once enacted, it will help remove barriers that today lead to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs.”
“This legislation will be a lifeline for families across the country facing childhood cancer,” said The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society President and CEO E. Anders Kolb, MD. “By streamlining the Medicaid provider screening and enrollment process, we'll spare families the anguish of needless treatment delays at a time when every day counts. We thank Representatives Trahan and Miller-Meeks for introducing this bill and urge Congress to pass it quickly. Kids can’t wait.”
“It is vital that all children and adolescents can receive the health care they need, when they need it. For those with complex medical conditions, any delays in access to the specialized care they need can be detrimental to their health. As stated in its name, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act would help ensure that children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program can receive timely health care without facing unnecessary barriers simply based on where they live. Pediatricians call on Congress to swiftly advance this bipartisan legislation, and we thank Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) for their leadership on the issue,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP.
A full list of the 216 organizations supporting the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is available HERE.
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