Published online March 1, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 3 March 2006, pp. 949-950 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-3085)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Alexander, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Alexander, D. Related Collections Office Practice

COMMENTARY

Medicaid Reform: An Opportunity to Focus on the Real Challenges for Children

David Alexander, MD, FAAP

National Association of Children's Hospitals, Alexandria, Virginia

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

As it approached the end of 2005, Congress debated how to save billions of dollars in federal spending for Medicaid, the federal state program that provides health coverage to low-income and disabled children and adults. Although the mechanisms for these cuts were advanced as "reforms," it was no secret that the driver of these cuts was the federal deficit.

With the deficit mounting and states calling for greater flexibility, Medicaid reform remains squarely on Congress' agenda, aided by a federal Medicaid commission that will make longer-term reform recommendations by the end of 2006.

Children are uniquely vulnerable in any push that makes savings the focus of Medicaid reform. Although children constitute >50% of Medicaid enrollees, they account for only 22% of Medicaid spending, which includes spending for children with disabilities. Reform driven by spending would affect children disproportionately but achieve comparatively little savings.

In 2006 we again will see reforms debated that could either harm children's health care coverage . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Address correspondence to David Alexander, MD, FAAP, National Association of Children's Hospitals, 401 Wythe St, Alexandria, VA 22314. E-mail: david.alexander4@comcast.net

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Jimenez and M. I. Romero Reducing Infant Mortality In Chile: Success In Two Phases Health Aff., March 1, 2007; 26(2): 458 - 465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]