Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act

Unfortunately, even when Medicaid covers complex care patients face barriers receiving treatment. One well-documented challenge is the need to travel out-of-state to receive care, which is often the case for patients receiving cell and gene therapies or other specialized care. Often there are a limited number of hospitals or qualified treatment centers, concentrated in limited geographic areas. When providers treat out-of-state Medicaid patients, they must be credentialed by the patients’ home state Medicaid program – a process that can be lengthy, time consuming, and administratively complex. This process can take months, and this regulatory burden can cause dangerous delays in care - when patients don’t have time to waste. Delayed care can lead to worse outcomes - or even death, in some cases.

The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act would streamline this process for specialty providers caring for children with complex medical needs, while protecting programmatic safeguards. The legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support, sponsored by more than 125 Members of Congress, and it is endorsed by more than 200 organizations. We urge Congress to pass the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act to reduce harmful treatment delays for children on Medicaid who must travel out-of-state.