PEDIATRICIANS PUSH TO SOLVE PLIGHT OF 9 MILLION UNINSURED CHILDREN
Campaign for Children's Health Care launched

Washington, DC---The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), representing 60,000 pediatricians, today participated in the launch of the Campaign for Children's Health Care in coalition with dozens of other organizations. The campaign's goal is to make high-quality, comprehensive, affordable health insurance coverage for the nation's 9 million uninsured children a national priority.

"As pediatricians, we see what happens when children don't receive necessary health care services such as immunizations and well-child visits," said AAP President Eileen M. Ouellette, MD, JD, FAAP. "Their overall health suffers and expensive emergency room visits increase. Having access to consistent, quality health care matters."

The Academy is asking its pediatricians to sign and circulate the Campaign's online petition, which calls for the president and Congress to immediately address the problem of uninsured children. The petition is available on the Campaign for Children's Health Care Web site: www.childrenshealthcampaign.org .

"The good news is we have the ability and means to cover every child in this country. What's missing is the political will," Dr. Ouellette said. "We need to convince policymakers to immediately move this issue to the top of their legislative agenda, and in the coming months, that's what the AAP and our campaign partners intend to do."

With recent changes in Medicaid law that could negatively impact health care for millions of children and next year's congressional reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the AAP remains committed to legislative advocacy that not only secures coverage for all children, but also protects the access, benefits and services millions of children already have and need.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.