"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) praises the U.S. Senate for its passage of the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) extension today by a vote of 61-38.

"This FMAP extension will provide much-needed fiscal relief to states as they work to recover from the impacts of the recent economic recession. FMAP is a children's issue; more than 50 percent of Medicaid recipients are children. Without these additional resources, states have limited options when their Medicaid numbers don't add up, and will likely slash payments for medically necessary services. Families are already struggling in these difficult economic times and need these critical medical services now more than ever.

"The Academy now encourages the U.S. House to address FMAP as soon as possible. We must work to ensure that states can continue providing millions of children and families with access to high-quality, affordable health care through vital public programs."

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. For more information, visit www.aap.org.