Protect Medicaid
Medicaid Matters
Protect children’s access to health care
Medicaid is a lifeline. It covers infants, children, and adolescents in every state, from every background. This federal-state partnership is the largest source of children’s health care coverage in the U.S.
Cuts to Medicaid would have devastating impacts on children covered by the program:
37 million or about 1 in 2 children across America
Nearly 50% of children with special health care needs
1 in 3 children diagnosed with cancer
More than 40% of children living in rural areas and small towns
Over 40% of all births across America
3 million children in military-connected families
- Slashing funding would mean fewer health care providers, fewer services, and longer wait times for children who already face significant barriers to care.
- Medicaid funding ensures children’s hospitals are able to provide advanced, specialized care for all children.
- Medicaid is the primary payer for children’s behavioral health services.
- Continued investment in Medicaid is critical to children’s health and our nation’s future.
We need to keep children covered.
Medicaid covers most of our nation’s sickest children.
No one plans for children to get sick, but thankfully Medicaid is a safety net for all our children. For children born with or who develop serious medical conditions, Medicaid provides coverage or fills coverage gaps for services not covered by private insurance.
Medicaid helps our children reach their full potential.
Medicaid helps children and teens grow into healthy and productive adults. Compared to uninsured children, those covered by Medicaid are more likely to have better health outcomes as adults, with higher school attendance and academic achievement. This leads to greater resiliency in careers and life.
Medicaid provides a pediatric-specific set of services through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit (EPSDT).
EPSDT ensures kids get the preventive services they need like immunizations and well-child checkups, as well as medically necessary treatments, including specialty care for children with complex and chronic medical needs, vision, and dental.