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Reps. Schrier and Underwood Re-Introduce Bill to Lower Costs, Eliminate Deductibles for Routine Childhood Doctor Visits

September 12, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswomen Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) and Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a nurse, have re-introduced the Helping Families Access Pediatric Care Act (HR 8573) that will ensure children can access necessary, affordable care.

"As a pediatrician, I have seen first-hand how many families will delay or forego office visits because of high deductibles, particularly at the start of the year," said Rep. Schrier. "Unfortunately, this means that mild illnesses can turn into serious ones when they are not addressed in a timely fashion. For example, a mild pneumonia that the pediatrician could treat with oral antibiotics could turn into a severe case that would require an ED visit, hospitalization, and IV antibiotics. That is exactly the opposite of what we’re striving for and is why I'm re-introducing this bill with Congresswoman Underwood. We want to remove barriers to care, lower costs for families, and make sure that no parent needs to make the difficult decision between taking their child to the doctor and putting food on the table."

“Every person in this country deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care, and from the beginning of my time in Congress, I’ve worked to lower health care costs for Americans across the country. The Helping Families Access Pediatric Care Act would help eliminate financial barriers that prevent children from seeing their nurse or doctor and accessing important health care services. Together, Congresswoman Schrier and I are working to ensure every child receives the care they need,” said Rep. Underwood. 

To make sure families are not discouraged from seeking appropriate and necessary care, the Helping Families Access Pediatric Care Act will ensure all outpatient pediatric care and similar telehealth visits for pediatric care are not subject to a deductible. This will enable children to receive the care they need, regardless of their insurance.

"No family should be denied healthcare for their children because it’s unaffordable. Pediatricians understand all too well how deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs can and do prevent children from receiving the timely care and services they need, which is why it’s no surprise that a pediatrician and a nurse, Rep. Kim Schrier, MD, FAAP (D-Wash.) and Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), are leading efforts to help fix it. The Helping Families Access Pediatric Care Act would make great strides toward improving access and affordability for children and families, no matter their source of coverage. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds Rep. Schrier and Rep. Underwood for their leadership on this bill and calls on Congress to advance it without delay," said American Academy of Pediatrics President Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP.

“Family physicians know how important it is that our patients have timely and affordable access to primary care, and we see firsthand how high out-of-pocket costs can cause patients to delay care, leading to worse health outcomes. Families shouldn’t have to worry about meeting an unaffordable deductible before their child can be seen by their primary care doctor. Family physicians play in integral role in caring for our nation’s children, and 2.9 million children live in counties where family physicians are the only primary care physician. That’s why we support the re-introduction of the Helping Families Access Pediatric Care Act, which will help ensure that our pediatric patients have timely access to high-value primary care services and can prevent expensive health care interventions. The American Academy of Family Physicians calls on Congress to pass this bill along with other legislation to eliminate cost and access barriers to primary care without delay," said American Academy of Family Physicians President Sterling N. Ransone, MD, FAAFP.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, the Child Welfare League of America, First Focus Campaign for Children, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National League for Nursing, and the Children’s Hospital Association.

Issues:Health