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Research & Innovation
It starts with a Q:
For the latest cutting-edge research, innovative collaborations and remarkable discoveries in child health, read stories from across all our areas of study in Q: Advances and Answers in Pediatric Health.
Healthcare for Children: Protecting and Expanding Access to Care
Protecting health coverage and access for all children
At Children’s Hospital Colorado, advocating for public policies that improve child health is a key part of our mission. We believe that no child should lose health insurance because of changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Medicaid. All eligible kids should have health insurance coverage, whether through private insurance, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Tricare or other programs.
Why health insurance coverage for children matters
Health insurance coverage is vital because it enables children to access the healthcare services they need to grow up healthy and strong, particularly in their prenatal and early formative years of life. That’s why our Government Affairs team works to ensure health insurance coverage for as many kids as possible.
The state of child health
The United States and Colorado have made progress on child health through investments in programs like Medicaid and CHIP. Compared to children who are uninsured, children enrolled in the Medicaid and CHIP programs have shown better health and educational outcomes – and improved circumstances for their families, too. But we need to do better. Mental health coverage and benefits, for example, are particularly lacking.
Children’s Colorado’s Government Affairs team advocates for improvements to the policies and government programs that benefit children and families and ensure that all kids have the chance to grow up healthy and strong. One key program is Medicaid.
Medicaid for children
Medicaid supports children and families by providing healthcare coverage that meets their needs and allows them to receive necessary care. Strengthening support for children in their early years improves the future lives of all children in the program. Learn more about Medicaid and how it helps kids below.
Frequently asked questions about Medicaid
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some individuals with limited income, disabilities or need for long-term care. Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements. Responsibility for funding the program is shared between states and the federal government.
More than 30 million children nationwide rely on Medicaid for health insurance coverage, including more than 650,000 in Colorado. Many are from families with low incomes who do not have access to or cannot afford commercial insurance plans for their children. Others may be covered by commercial insurance but have serious, chronic medical conditions that require regular and ongoing therapies and specialized care covered by Medicaid.
Medicaid is the single most important healthcare program for children in America, and we believe indiscriminate cuts to Medicaid will hurt children disproportionately. Children are already the lowest funded population group in the federal budget. As Congress considers the future of Medicaid, any potential reforms must protect the unique needs of children.
Further, cuts to Medicaid by lawmakers in Washington, D.C. will simply shift the costs from the federal government to states, providers, families and patients. So-called “block grants” or “per capita caps” would put state budgets at risk if Medicaid costs were to go up — as happens during recessions or natural disasters. This would make it hard for states to deal with competing priorities like education or transportation.
Half of the nation’s children, some 36 million, are provided healthcare through the Medicaid (30 million) and CHIP (6 million) programs. Our country needs these children to grow up to become the healthy adults who will drive our future economy, workforce, security and communities.
Of the 74 million beneficiaries in the Medicaid and CHIP programs, nearly 50% are between the ages of 0 and 18. Current proposals to reduce federal spending in Medicaid would cut support for children’s healthcare, putting their health at risk.
Children are the lowest funded population in Medicaid and in the federal budget as a whole. Children account for nearly half of Medicaid enrollees, but only about 20% of the costs.
Medicaid is an investment in our nation’s security and our future, covering the children who will grow to be the next generation of our nation’s business, community and military leadership. Compared to the uninsured, children on Medicaid are healthier and go on to achieve higher educational and economic outcomes as they become adults.
Medicaid provides for essential elements that must be protected and strengthened, including pediatric-specific benefits. Ensuring kids have access to the care they need is the right thing to do, but it’s also a wise and necessary investment in our future as a nation.
Help protect children’s access to healthcare
Our advocacy network of Child Health Champions makes it quick and simple to write emails, make phone calls and speak up for kids’ needs — including healthcare coverage — so lawmakers know that their constituents value child health.
Questions? Please email us at advocacy@childrenscolorado.org.