Sick children, their families and advocates are trying to sway federal lawmakers this week to give special notice to pediatric specialty care. Aimee Ossman, Director of Policy Analysis with the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, says the health care bill signed into law in March was a good first step but “we need to keep concentrating on access to specialty care,” as children have long wait times in seeing specialists such as neurologists and endocrinologists.
Ossman says Medicaid not fully reimbursing physicians, coupled with the heavy amount of training necessary are reasons there are shortages in these fields. NACH wants the federal government to beef up funding for Medicaid, which is what one-in-four children in the US relies on.
The group is also lobbying for children’s hospitals, which in Wisconsin can be found in Milwaukee, Madison and Marshfield.
June 15-16 is NACH’s Family Advocacy Day.
