WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will be leading the fight in the 109th Congress to secure access to quality health care coverage for every child. Concerned about the more than 9 million uninsured children in this country the AAP, and its 60,000 pediatricians, will continue to lobby for passage of federal legislation that would assure every infant, child, teenager and young adult through age 22 has comprehensive health insurance. It's also trying to protect both the Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which together provide coverage to more than 28 million children, and could be facing serious cuts in benefits, services and enrollment this year.
"We must act to assure that our children's health is not at risk," said AAP President Carol Berkowitz, MD, FAAP. "We know that providing access to care for every child can help to prevent obesity, heart disease and diabetes. This is why we are urging Congress to come together and work in a bipartisan way to help solve these problems."
With access to health care as the highest AAP priority, the Academy is appreciative of congressional efforts like Sen. John Kerry's "Kids Come First" bill. The Academy is currently reviewing the bill, released this week. Another AAP priority will be continuing to protect existing government programs that insure our nation's children. It will be important to protect children's health care services during the expected congressional debate to reform Medicaid. Reforms already being discussed on Capitol Hill have included potentially harmful proposals such as eliminating benefits, services and even the guaranteed right, or entitlement, of Medicaid coverage for low- income children.
"Children make up the largest percentage of Medicaid recipients but are the smallest percentage of the costs," said Dr. Berkowitz. "Yet we are fighting crippling budget cuts. It's an outrage that our most vulnerable population is placed in jeopardy."
The Academy is asking all members of Congress to protect children from any harmful reforms and to ensure appropriate provider payment. The Academy will oppose any measure that does not protect the entitlement nature of Medicaid.
The Academy is also urging Congress to restore $1.1 billion in funding for SCHIP. Congress did not pass legislation last year to restore this funding, and hundreds of thousands of children face losing coverage this year without it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
American Academy of PediatricsCONTACT: Marjorie Tharp or Taryn Rosenkranz of the American Academy ofPediatrics, +1-202-347-8600
Web site: http://www.aap.org/