CFK reports from: The Cannon Office House Building
Event: The Face of Medicaid
Organized by: American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of Children's Hospitals, March of Dimes, and Family Voices.
Where/When: Washington, D.C., April 12th, 2005
by Julie Garfield
The American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Association of Children's Hospitals, March of Dimes and Family Voices joined forces today in the nation's capital to call on Congress to protect Medicaid from prospective budget cuts, and to advocate for the establishment of a commission to evaluate the program. The proposed cuts could slash as much as $20 million dollars from Medicaid over a five-year time period, potentially putting the 26 million children insured by the program at risk. These four prominent child health organizations, along with over 100 pediatricians, are spending the day visiting congressmen to inform them of the true cost of these cuts. They also are pushing for the creation of a commission that would evaluate the benefits and inefficiencies of Medicaid so that congressmen can make educated decisions about the future of the program.
Dr. Carol Berkowitz president of AAP, cited the staggering statistics that one in every three infants, and one in four children under the age of 18, are insured by Medicaid or SCHIP (state children's health insurance program). While the need to cut the federal budget has been getting a lot of attention, says Dr. Berkowitz, "we haven't heard much about how to continue to meet the needs of those who depend on [this] program." With 25 percent of American children relying on Medicaid for their health care needs, Berkowitz asserts, "we cannot make decisions about people's health care based solely on budget numbers."
Cuts in Medicaid could potentially effect every child, not just those insured by the program, explained Dr. Peter Holbrook, chief medical officer at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and former trustee of National Association of Children's Hospitals. The coverage families receive from the program not only ensure that low income children can receive quality care, but keeps children who cannot afford private insurance from flooding the emergency rooms, said Dr.Holbrook. Additionally, the costs of providing care for the uninsured could drain funds from specialized programs for illnesses like type II diabetes and AIDS, programs which benefit all patients. Dr. Holbrook summed it up by saying that "Medicaid is the fiscal backbone of American Pediatrics."
As if the costs of regular healthcare are not high enough, families that have children with special health care needs face even greater burdens. Speaking on behalf of Family Voices, Grace Williams shared her story as a parent of twin daughters who were diagnosed with autism at age four. The Williams family had private health care insurance for their four kids until the costs of treatment for her twins started to quickly chip away at their savings. Eventually Grace was forced to apply for Medicaid as a supplement to their private insurance so that her daughters could get the treatments they needed. The story of the Williams family is one that is familiar to many who have children with special healthcare needs.
Dr. Holbrook cited the fact that while children make up 50 percent of the Medicaid population, they account for less than a quarter of the costs. Not only is insuring children relatively cheap compared to adults according to the AAP, it also is cost effective as routine medical care has been shown to decrease expensive emergency room visits and hospitalization.
Dr. Berkowitz remarked that efforts to stop cuts to Medicaid and create a commission illustrate what all doctors learn in their first days at medical school: "Do no harm." Berkowitz concludes, "If any changes are made to Medicaid, let's do them after there is careful study and assessment of the impact on the health and well being of our nation's children."
For useful information and fact sheets on Children's Health Insurance, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics [1].