By Brianna Wilson
The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act. It's a key step toward the bill becoming law and ensuring kids can get cancer care without delay.
State borders shouldn’t be barriers to treatment for children with cancer or other complex illnesses. Yet all too often, they cause challenges—or even treatment delays—for children and their families who rely on Medicaid or CHIP for their health insurance.
That’s why The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is championing the bipartisan Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (AKACA), a bill that would reduce the paperwork required of doctors treating children from out-of-state—and get children the care they need faster, without delays.
On June 12, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the bill—a key step toward the bill becoming law. The moment marks the furthest progress yet for the legislation, which LLS has spent years advocating for. It's a major step forward in the legislative process, as the bill will now be considered by the full House of Representatives.
LLS volunteers have held hundreds of meetings with lawmakers, and sent them thousands of letters, urging support for this legislation. We couldn’t have made it this far without advocates who are raising their voices on behalf of kids.
We need YOU
As Congress considers this legislation, the best way to ensure AKACA becomes law is to share how the burden of these delays is affecting patients and families. If you or someone you know has faced difficulties traveling out-of-state for care due to issues with Medicaid, please email [email protected].
Patient stories make policies personal for lawmakers—and can help push this bill over the finish line. We will only use your story in a way you’re comfortable with. Stories do not need to have names attached to them, but Congress must understand why every minute counts for children with cancer.
Another way to help? Send an email urging your lawmakers to support the bill by clicking here.
More about AKACA
When kids with cancer need specialized care, they often must travel outside their home state to find it. But approximately 50% of children in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid or CHIP. For them, seeking out-of-state care often requires a process of coordination between the health agency in the patient’s state and the out-of-state provider, and that can take months.
This regulatory burden can cause dangerous delays in care—when pediatric patients don’t have time to waste. Delayed care can lead to worse outcomes—or even death, in some cases.
The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act allows pediatric providers to enroll more efficiently in multiple state Medicaid programs, allowing them to provide essential, time-sensitive care to children who need it.
We’ve already made it this far – let's keep the momentum going to ensure this critical legislation passes.
