ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The following information was released by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI):
On Tuesday, November 29, the American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, National Association of Children's Hospitals, First Focus, Voices for America's Children, Children's Defense Fund, Family Voices, and more than 30 additional child health and advocacy groups are sponsoring a briefing: 'Weighing the Options for Children's Health Care and Medicaid: First Do No Harm.'
The briefing will explore the importance of Medicaid for the millions of children, pregnant women, and their families who rely on the program for their health and well-being, and is open to the media.
Although children make up more than half of all Medicaid enrollees, they account for less than a quarter of all Medicaid spending. In addition, while Medicaid functions as a critical safety-net for the increasing number of children living in poverty today, it also protects families from bankruptcy when they have a child with extensive medical needs, such as a premature newborn or a child with a serious illness or disability. Chronic conditions such as these force thousands of families to the brink of financial solvency each year, and without Medicaid, it is likely that either their child would go without the care that they need or the family would be left destitute.
The panelists are:
Moderator: Mark Wietecha, President and CEO, National Association of Children's Hospitals
O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP, Immediate Past President, American Academy of Pediatrics
Joan Alker, Co-Director, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families
Dianne and Carissa Malley, parent and child with special health care needs
The briefing will take place for both House and Senate congressional staff on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Media are welcome at either event:
House side briefing: 10:00 am - 11:00 am, HC-8, Capitol Building (refreshments included)
Senate side briefing: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Russell Senate Office Building Room 325 (lunch will be provided)
RSVP to attend.
Sponsoring Organizations:
American Academy of Cardiology, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, American College of Cardiology, American Dental Hygienists' Association, American Heart Association, American Dental Education Association, Ascension Health, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Children's Defense Fund, Children's Dental Health Project, Children's Health Fund, Council of Women's and Infants' Specialty Hospitals, Doctors for America, Easter Seals, Families USA, Family Voices, First Focus, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, March of Dimes, Medicaid Health Plans of America, National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, National Association for Children's Behavioral Health, National Association of Children's Hospitals, National Council of Jewish Women, National Health Law Program, National Partnership for Women and Families, RESULTS, Save Medicaid in Schools, Service Employees International Union, The Children's Partnership, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, Voices for America's Children, Youth Villages, ZERO TO THREE
