UNINSURED CHILDREN FACE OBSTACLES, BARRIERS TO CARE
Children's health care a top priority for nation's pediatricians

WASHINGTON, DC---The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), representing 60,000 pediatricians, appreciates today's release of state-by-state data on uninsured children by the Campaign for Children's Health Care. Pediatricians understand the impact being uninsured has on children, and today's Campaign information highlights the dangerous consequences this situation can have on children throughout their life. Currently, there are more than 9 million uninsured children in the United States, according to the AAP.

"We need to educate the public and policymakers about uninsured children," said AAP President Eileen M. Ouellette, MD, JD, FAAP. "These state data will help us make the case and hopefully move towards a solution sooner rather than later."

The Academy, a member of the Campaign for the Children's Health Care, also has a report titled "Children's Health Insurance Status and Medicaid/State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Enrollment 2005," available at http://www.aap.org/research/cps.pdf. It looks at children's health insurance coverage and how it has changed over the last several years with changes in Medicaid and SCHIP.

"Despite our nation's ability and means to cover every child in this country, children's health care has not been a priority," Dr. Ouellette said. "That needs to change."

Recent Census data showed that 361,000 more U.S. children were uninsured in 2005 than in 2004. The Academy is concerned the situation could get worse. SCHIP is facing federal funding shortfalls for fiscal year 2007 between $800 and $950 million, and recent changes to Medicaid also threaten children's access to health care. The AAP remains committed to legislation that will not only secure health care coverage for all children, but also protects the access, benefits and services millions of children already have and need.

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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.