The real winners in health care reform: kids
By Mary Brown, David Willis and Arthur Jaffe
In March, America made history by passing the Affordable Care Act. As the summer heats up, so does the ongoing debate around the country about what the new health reform law actually means for all Americans.
Not everyone is convinced that the law is good for the country. But there is one constituency group that clearly came out as winners in the fight, one group that—although literally necessary for the future survival of our country—can’t speak up for itself and often is ignored. They are our nation’s most important, yet most vulnerable resource: our children.
The reality is, when it comes to the well-being of our children, there are areas—including our high rates of childhood obesity and infant mortality—where the U.S. falls painfully short. With the passage of health reform, we got it right. We made an essential investment to improve our children’s health. We should all celebrate that.
The Affordable Care Act includes significant reforms that will not only help improve our nation’s health care system but also benefit children and families right here in Oregon. The law will offer health insurance coverage to nearly 32 million more Americans and also will ensure health care coverage for all children in the United States.
Children no longer will be denied care because of pre-existing health conditions, and young people up to age 26 can remain on their parents’ health insurance. This will bring much-needed relief to roughly 15,000 individuals in Oregon who now can have quality, affordable coverage through their parents.
Recognizing that children are not just little adults, the law funds demonstration projects for a model of care called the medical home. As pediatricians, we know that this model of care works for families. It establishes partnerships between the child receiving care, the health professionals who provide the care, and the family who facilitates the care. Devoting new attention to the medical home through health care reform will help many more children receive age-appropriate health services.
Additionally, the new law allows for pediatric preventive care services to be offered to families with no co-pay, no matter what type of insurance they have. Placing an emphasis on prevention will help keep our children healthier and allow pediatricians to monitor and diagnose health problems earlier.
The new law also greatly improves children’s access to health care by providing incentives for more pediatric specialists to enter the work force. This means that more doctors will be available to care for children with complex health conditions. The law also devotes funding to help more doctors treat Medicaid patients. Before the law was signed, when doctors saw Medicaid patients, their payments often were insufficient to cover the overhead expenses of maintaining their practice. Now, the Affordable Care Act will allow many of Oregon’s most vulnerable children to get the care they need.
Health reform is good for the country and good for Oregon. As the leadership of the Oregon Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, we’re grateful that its passage will be a significant investment in the health and future of all our children.
Now the real work begins as the federal government works to implement the law in the coming months. We look forward to working with state and federal officials, and the child health community in Oregon to continue to make our children’s health our highest national priority.
Mary Brown is chairwoman of District VIII for the American Academy of Pediatrics. David Willis is president of the Oregon Pediatric Society. Arthur Jaffe is vice president of the Oregon Pediatric Society.
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