{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-bipartisan-bill-expand-health-care-access-kids-passes-house", "Miller-Meeks' Bipartisan Bill to Expand Health Care Access for Kids Passes House", "2024-09-17", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Mariannette Miller-Meeks", "M001215", "millermeeks.house.gov", "millermeeks", "https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Health Subcommittee, celebrated passage of their Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation introduced in July 2023 breaks down barriers for children with complex medical conditions to make it easier for families to access out-of-state care.\n\n\u201cHouse passage of the Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act is a major win for children fighting rare and complex diseases,\u201d said Congresswoman Miller-Meeks. \u201cOur legislation gives children with rare and complex diseases access to health care institutions and research facilities that are in many cases out of state. It also reduces bureaucratic red tape and significant wait times that delay patient care and risk exacerbating a child\u2019s health condition. I thank Rep. Trahan and Children\u2019s Hospitals across America for this milestone and brighter future for many children. We look forward to the Senate swiftly passing this bill and the President signing it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor children and families facing rare pediatric diseases like cancer, the time between diagnosis and treatment is everything,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201c'I'm proud that my bipartisan Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act is now one step closer to becoming law so children aren\u2019t denied lifesaving care because of preventable and time-consuming administrative hurdles.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are ecstatic that the House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act,\u201d said Matthew Cook, President and CEO of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association. \u201cThis legislation is vital for children and families affected by rare diseases and other chronic conditions who often face significant barriers to accessing timely and coordinated care. Children with complex health needs frequently require the expertise of pediatric specialists and subspecialists found only in children\u2019s hospitals some of which are not located in their home state. By streamlining the burdensome Medicaid provider enrollment process, this bill ensures that pediatric patients have timely access to the specialized care they need, regardless of where they live. We are eternally grateful for the tenacious, bipartisan leadership of Reps. Trahan and Miller-Meeks to get this vital bill over the finish line in the House. Now on to the Senate!\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a pediatric oncologist, I know: children with cancer have NO time to waste,\u201d said E. Anders Kolb, MD, president and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. \u201cThe Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act spares families from needless delays at a moment when time is of the essence. We urge the Senate to take up the bill and pass it right away. Kids with cancer can\u2019t wait.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nChildren with complex medical needs may not have the specialized care they need within their home state. In these instances, parents must work with health care providers and state Medicaid officials to find out-of-state care. The process is difficult and complex, often delaying children and their families from receiving the care they desperately need \u2013 and in some cases blocking access to care all together.\n\nIn order to reduce barriers to out-of-state care, the Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act allows states to streamline the process for out-of-state pediatric care providers to enroll in another state\u2019s Medicaid program, while also safeguarding important program integrity processes. The legislation enables smooth coordination across state lines by clarifying the process by which state Medicaid programs can cover this care regardless of where the child lives and where their care is received.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-bipartisan-bill-expand-health-care-access-kids-passes-house"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6890161894261837, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}