Herrera Beutler Pushes Bill for Child Health Care Access

Posted

U.S. Rep Jaime Herrera Beutler has signed on to support legislation designed to help children receive specialized care, a release from her office announced on Wednesday, May 12.

HR 3089, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, was introduced May 11 by U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., with Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, as co-sponsor. Companion legislation in the Senate was introduced by Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrats Michael Bennet (Colorado), Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown (both of Ohio.)

The highly-specialized care that children with complex medical needs require isn’t always located in their home state, the release stated, requiring families to look across state lines. The process is “full of red tape” which can delay care, or even prevent access to care entirely.

The act would offer a streamlined screening and enrollment process for pediatric care providers to enroll in another state’s Medicaid program, allowing for those children to receive needed care, the release explained.

Herrera Beutler said she’s long supported helping children receive care across state lines, adding the legislation would remove the regulatory hurdle, “ease the burden on these families, and save more kids’ lives.”



“If a child needs access to specialized medical care, they shouldn’t be hindered by their ZIP code or income level,” Herrera Beutler said in the release. “Congress should remove barriers that keep kids from obtaining the treatment they need which is why the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is so important.”

The release stated HR 3089 builds on prior legislation Herrera Beutler supported that was signed into law in 2019. Though the bill would streamline some of the current procedures for out-of-state care, it would safeguard important program integrity processes.

“Kids with serious health conditions often can’t wait for care and they shouldn’t have to. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act ensures that red tape and state lines don’t stand between children and life-saving medical care,” Clark said.

HR 3089 is currently in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The Senate companion legislation is currently in the Senate Committee on Finance.