Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • My Cart
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe

AAP opposes new Medicaid guidance on block grants, per capita caps

Trisha Korioth, Staff Writer
January 30, 2020

Sweeping new federal guidance on Medicaid issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would be detrimental to children and families, according to the AAP, five other major medical organizations and several health groups.

The guidance announced by CMS Thursday allows caps on federal funding and offers states the option to use block grants and per capita caps for low-income adult populations, including parents with young children.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics urges CMS to immediately rescind this guidance and instead pursue policies that strengthen Medicaid. CMS must instead work to reverse the troubling trend of rising child uninsurance rates due to children losing Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) coverage,” AAP President Sara “Sally” H. Goza, M.D., FAAP, said in a statement (http://bit.ly/2uLYM4u).

Medicaid enrolls 37 million children nationwide. When parents lose coverage, their children are more likely to lose coverage as well. However, the full impact of the guidance on children remains unknown. The AAP and health groups issued a joint statement “united in opposition to any threat to Medicaid that would dismantle a pillar program millions of families rely on” (http://bit.ly/37Gp8nh).

The block grant or per capita cap financing mechanism for Medicaid also violates joint principles on Medicaid waivers supported by the six major medical organizations that represent more than a half-million U.S. physicians (http://bit.ly/2Ogdg3E).

Children, including those with special health care needs and those from low-income families, make up the single largest group of people who rely on Medicaid.

Following the release last September of U.S. Census Bureau data showing 425,000 fewer children had health insurance coverage in 2018, the groups called for immediate action by Congress and the Trump administration to protect and improve health coverage for all children (http://bit.ly/38RBBV9).

“It is … baffling and alarming that such drastic, harmful changes are being proposed to a program that works so well for such vulnerable groups. It is even more concerning that it was done in a way that does not allow those who would be impacted most to weigh in,” Dr. Goza said.

The Medicaid program guarantees specific benefits designed for children, known as Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT). As a result, children on Medicaid are more likely to get checkups, miss less school, graduate and enter the workforce than their uninsured peers. But under the new guidance, states also will be allowed to opt out of providing EPSDT to some populations.

“We urge CMS to immediately rescind the guidance and keep Medicaid strong," Dr. Goza said. “Simply put: Medicaid works.”

Resource
  • AAP News article “AAP sounds alarm over drop in children’s enrollment in public health insurance coverage”
Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics

Advertising Disclaimer »

Download PDF
Email News Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
AAP opposes new Medicaid guidance on block grants, per capita caps
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
AAP opposes new Medicaid guidance on block grants, per capita caps
Trisha Korioth
January 30, 2020
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
  • Digital Edition Current Issue
  • Latest Daily News
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Columns
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe to AAP News Magazine
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 AAP Journals Catalog
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics in Review
  • Hospital Pediatrics
  • NeoReviews
  • AAP Grand Rounds
  • AAP Career Center
  • shopAAP
  • AAP.org
  • AAP News
  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics