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Portman and Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Help Children
with Complex Medical Conditions
Special to The Truth
Last week,
U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) joined U.S. Senator Chuck
Grassley (R-Iowa) in introducing bipartisan legislation to
help coordinate care and improve health outcomes for
children with medically complex conditions in Medicaid.
“This is a commonsense bill that will help to ensure sick
kids have better access to quality care,” Portman stated.
“By improving coordination among pediatric providers, we
will begin to make life easier for these children and their
families.”
“Cincinnati Children's is grateful to the U.S. Senate and
its leadership for introducing a bill today that will make a
profound difference in the lives of complex and chronically
ill children in this country,” said Michael Fisher,
president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
“The ACE Act for Kids will give children's hospitals more
flexibility to coordinate care at a lower cost, providing
the right care at the right time in the right environment.
We look forward to working with Senate leaders such as
Senator Portman and others to see this bill through to
passage.”
“This bill is a creative idea to provide high quality, more
efficient care for really sick kids through networks of
providers who are willing to take responsibility for
coordinating their care,” Grassley said. “I look forward to
advancing this bipartisan bill through the legislative
process.”
The Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2015 would
improve care coordination, quality measures and cost
containment for children in Medicaid who need specialized
care and often have to cross state lines to get it. The bill
would allow for the creation of nationally designated
networks in Medicaid, making it easier for the children with
medical complexity to get needed care. The children in need
have complex illnesses and conditions including cancer,
congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and
other chronic health challenges. Specialized care can mean
the difference between high mortality rates and thriving
into adulthood. The bill is popular with medical
professionals at dozens of children’s hospitals across the
country who treat children with complex medical needs.
Easing barriers to care through Medicaid is important
because about two-thirds of the three million children with
medical complexity are covered by Medicaid, representing
nearly 40 percent of Medicaid costs for children.
The bill will be referred to the Finance Committee, which
has jurisdiction over Medicaid.
Portman and Grassley were also joined by U.S. Senators
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Roy Blunt
(R-Mo.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).
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