Federal Medicaid cuts threaten child health
Congress is moving forward with a budget package likely to include severe cuts to Medicaid and CHIP (the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which funds Healthy Montana Kids). As Montana pediatricians, we know that cutting Medicaid to this extent won’t just affect children covered by Medicaid. It will be felt by every child, in every community.
Picture this: Your child was just diagnosed with a life-altering chronic disease, but there is no specialty care available in the state. Or your newborn arrived earlier than expected, and there’s not a NICU bed available due to a hospital’s cuts to capacity.
Cuts to Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids make these situations ever more likely. These programs are deeply important to the health of the children in the state. Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids provide coverage for more than 94,000 children throughout Montana.
Medicaid coverage for kids also makes the difference between local hospitals having pediatric services and not having them. Medicaid covers 40% of births in Montana and 58% of children with special health care needs and disabilities, which means it is a critical source of funding for hospitals and clinics that provide pediatric services. Significant cuts such as those currently proposed would push many past the tipping point — directly resulting in an increased number of children and their families who need to leave Montana in order to treat life-threatening or chronic illnesses.
Infrastructure for critically ill children in particular is fragile. There are only three small pediatric intensive care units in the state, and upending one of these hospital systems with funding cuts could mean closing one or more of these units, leaving Montana with even less access to stabilization of pediatric patients having an emergency.
As pediatricians, we want to avoid seeing families lose insurance coverage and hospitals lose services. And even more than that: we want to make sure we’re investing in our children. Evidence shows that Medicaid funding has long-term benefits. Children covered by Medicaid miss fewer school days, are more likely to graduate high school, be healthier adults and earn higher wages.
In fact, this year Montana’s state Legislature has just reauthorized a Medicaid program covering 75,000 adults. A bipartisan majority recognized the importance of good health to Montana’s working families, as well as Medicaid’s significant long-term benefits to the state economy and rural health care infrastructure. This is a program that does so much good for so many people. We cannot afford to make the slashing cuts proposed right now in Congress.
Pediatricians urge Montana’s Congressional delegation to protect Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids in the federal budget. We also urge our fellow Montanans to reach out and tell them how important Medicaid is to you and your family. Our children deserve access to health care when they need it — and to a healthy future.
Dr. Jessica E. McDade is a Missoula-based pediatric intensivist. She wrote this on behalf of the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.