CHILD HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR INSURANCE PLANS ARE ELIMINATED
IN SENATE BILL

Washington, DC---The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is opposing Senate legislation being considered today that would eliminate state health protections for more than 35 million children in at least 30 states. The "Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act" (S. 1955) attempts to help small businesses secure health insurance coverage for their employees and their families. However, the legislation exempts insurance plans from meeting the protection standards set by state health insurance plan consumer laws.

"These consumer laws mandate that children receive doctor visits for preventive care, and immunizations," said AAP President Eileen M. Ouellette, MD, JD, FAAP. "Without these requirements, children won't get the basic health care coverage they need, plain and simple. This Senate bill is not good for child health and it is not good for business."

When a child is not vaccinated, other children in the community are at risk for contracting a preventable disease, such as mumps or whooping cough. It's good for patient and public health when children are vaccinated.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is considering the bill today. U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) will introduce an AAP-backed amendment that would keep the child health requirements intact. The House already passed its own version of the legislation (H.R. 525), which the AAP opposed for the same reasons as the Senate bill.

The AAP is committed to providing affordable, high-quality health care coverage for America's small business employees and their families. Sixty percent of uninsured children not eligible for public health coverage have parents who work in small businesses.

"We need association health plan legislation that doesn't sacrifice child health in the process," Dr. Ouellette said.

# # #

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.