November 11, 2024

Senator John Fetterman 
42 Russell Senate Office Building 
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Robert P. Casey Jr.
393 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Casey and Fetterman:

We appreciate your co-sponsorship of the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act to improve children’s access to needed out-of-state health care by streamlining the burdensome and time-consuming Medicaid provider screening and enrollment process.

When children need health services that are not available in their home state, they must travel to different states to receive care. This is particularly true for children with medically complex conditions who must regularly access highly specialized providers found in children’s hospitals. Unfortunately, children on Medicaid needing care outside their home states often experience delays because some state Medicaid programs require out-of-state providers to be screened and enrolled in their program. This process of enrolling in multiple Medicaid programs consumes valuable time and resources, increases program costs and, most importantly, delays children’s access to care.

On September 17, 2024, the Accelerating Kid’s Access to Care Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote. This significant progress has paved the way for the U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 4758 (S.2372) and enact this commonsense legislation. However, we are concerned that the Finance Committee will not mark up any further legislation this Congress. Without Senate leadership including the bill in an end-of-year legislative package, the advancements made this Congress will be lost. Accordingly, we request that you encourage Senate leadership to include this legislation in any legislative vehicle that will pass the U.S. Senate before the end of the 118^th Congress.

Sincerely,

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Geisinger

Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital

Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh