CHA Urges Senators to Oppose Reconciliation Bill that Hurts Children’s Care

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the Senate vote on the budget reconciliation bill, Children’s Hospital Association President and CEO Matthew Cook released the following statement:

“The new version of the budget reconciliation bill is a crisis for children's health care, hospitals, and providers nationwide, and we ask Congress to oppose it as an act of support for America's children.

“The bill goes much too far. It cuts crucial funding streams like provider taxes and state directed payments. That means your child – regardless of their insurance status – could see the services they rely on reduced or eliminated with significantly less support to sustain them. The bill amounts to fewer doctors and nurses to see your child, longer wait times, and sicker children. We know that the impacts of poor pediatric health care reverberate for a lifetime.

“Cutting programs that support the health of our next generations does not reduce spending. It borrows from tomorrow and ensures that today’s kids will need more care down the road. That's an expensive bet, and it only kicks the costs to the next generation.

“Congress built the Medicaid and CHIP programs to provide needed care for the 37 million children who rely on it. It’s a lifeline. We urge Congress to give kids a chance to thrive by opposing the reconciliation bill.”