River Bend Times

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA), both members of the House Energy and Commerce Committees' Health Subcommittee, have reintroduced the bipartisan Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act. This legislation aims to assist children with complex medical conditions in accessing essential care.

The bill, previously introduced in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), seeks to eliminate barriers to healthcare for these children while preserving necessary safeguards and reducing regulatory burdens on providers.

“The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is crucial for children battling rare and complex diseases,” stated 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.”

Congresswoman Trahan added, “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.” She emphasized that the act would ensure timely access to lifesaving care without unnecessary delays.

Children with complex medical needs often lack specialized care within their home states, necessitating coordination between healthcare providers and state Medicaid officials for out-of-state treatment. The current process can be cumbersome, delaying or even blocking access to needed care.

The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act proposes streamlining enrollment processes for out-of-state pediatric care providers into another state's Medicaid program while maintaining important program integrity processes. It clarifies how state Medicaid programs can cover this care regardless of location.

Last Congress, this act passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives, highlighting its broad bipartisan support.

Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital, remarked on its importance: “The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is a great example of thoughtful bipartisan legislation... Once enacted, it will help remove barriers that today lead to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs.”

E. Anders Kolb, MD from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said: “This legislation will be a lifeline for families across the country facing childhood cancer... We thank Representatives Trahan and Miller-Meeks for introducing this bill.”

American Academy of Pediatrics President Sandy Chung called on Congress: “Pediatricians call on Congress to swiftly advance this bipartisan legislation... we thank Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) ...for their leadership.”

Peter L. Saltonstall from Organization for Rare Disorders noted: “The Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act will help remove a significant barrier... NORD is grateful to Representative Miller-Meeks and Representative Trahan.”

A comprehensive list of 216 organizations supporting this act is available online.