A Central Florida U.S. Representative introduced the Keep Kids Covered Act, legislation to provide continuous health care coverage for eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.
U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor and Yadira Caraveo introduced the Keep Kids Covered Act to expand on new 12-month continuous eligibility protections for children, and provide continuous coverage for children until age 6 – a crucial time for their development – and for a 24-month period for children up to age 19.
Continuous eligibility requires states to cover children in CHIP and Medicaid for a defined period of time without interruption, regardless of changes in circumstances. Access to consistent, high-quality coverage is critical to children’s development and well-being, especially in their early years, allowing them to grow into healthy and productive adults.
Not only does CE improve short- and long-term health coverage, it reduces churn and financial barriers to care, promotes health equity, and lowers costs, according to the Democrats. They say that too many children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP lose coverage for procedural reasons, like missing paperwork.
The Keep Kids Covered Act would ensure kids and families across the country have access to the lifesaving care they need.
“In Florida, innocent children pay the price when politicians rip health coverage away,” said Tampa Rep. Kathy Castor. “The Keep Kids Covered Act will ensure eligible kids across the country may access reliable, stable Medicaid and CHIP coverage so they can live happy, healthy lives. Research has shown that children with health coverage are healthier, do better in school, and grow into more successful adults. I’m grateful to my colleague Rep. Yadira Caraveo and child and family advocates for their partnership and support of this critical legislation.”
In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration stripped between 500,000 and 600,000 children from their coverage during the Medicaid unwinding. The Democrats say he is also breaking the law by throwing Florida children off the state’s CHIP program during the current-law 12-month continuous eligibility period. Legislation like the Keep Kids Covered Act would act as a bulwark against these harmful state policies, Rep. Castor said.
“As a pediatrician, I saw firsthand in clinic how families face disruptions in their children’s health care coverage, missing the very essential right to live a healthy life and become a successful adult,” said Rep. Caraveo. “I am proud to bring the voices of my little patients from Colorado to Washington DC and make sure children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP receive uninterrupted health coverage. This commonsense solution would make healthcare more accessible for kids in Colorado.”
“I’m grateful to Representatives Castor and Caraveo for their leadership to ensure our nation’s children have reliable access to health care,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. “The Keep Kids Covered Act would build on the progress we’ve made by expanding continuous eligibility for children on Medicaid and CHIP. It would ensure young children have continuity of care until they turn age 6—the period before they start kindergarten and when recommended screenings and check-ups are most frequent—and provide two years of continuous coverage after that. This is an important step forward in preventing unnecessary lapses in coverage for all people on Medicaid and CHIP.”
“When children experience disruptions in their health care coverage, they miss out on the vital care and services they need to grow up healthy and thrive,” said Benjamin Hoffman, MD, FAAP, American Academy of Pediatrics President. “As its name states, the Keep Kids Covered Act would help ensure children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP do not face gaps in coverage and give families the peace of mind they deserve. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds Reps. Kathy Castor and Yadira Caraveo for introducing this important legislation and calls for its swift advancement.”
“First Focus Campaign for Children is proud to support the Keep Kids Covered Act. Early childhood continuous eligibility ensures that no child in poverty goes without healthcare in their most formative years, setting them up to live full and healthy lives,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children. “Children need consistent coverage to ensure that any illnesses, health conditions, or developmental delays are detected and can be treated swiftly to minimize long-term harm. Continuous eligibility was a historic success during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the loss of that protection has caused 5.5 million children to lose coverage during the unwinding process. This legislation rights that wrong and makes a proven success permanent. It’s a commonsense policy with lifelong positive impacts.”
“Ensuring continuous eligibility for people enrolled in Medicaid has been a central priority of ACAP’s policy agenda for more than two decades,” said Meg Murray, CEO of Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP). “Representative Castor and Caraveo’s introduction of the Keep Kids Covered Act builds on the previous work of continuous eligibility for children in Medicaid and sends a clear and simple message: none of our nation’s kids should miss out on needed health care because they don’t have coverage.”
“Children’s hospitals witness the critical role Medicaid and CHIP play in providing essential care to more than half of the children they treat, particularly those with serious and complex medical needs,” said Matthew Cook, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association. “The Keep Kids Covered Act addresses the pressing issue of coverage gaps that can disrupt this vital care, ensuring that no child’s health suffers due to administrative hurdles. By providing continuous, multi-year coverage, this legislation offers much-needed stability and peace of mind to families facing challenging health circumstances. We commend Representatives Castor and Caraveo for their leadership in making sure all children have access to the consistent care they need to lead healthy, successful lives.”
The full bill text of the legislation can be viewed here.
