House Resolution 106

A RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO KEEP THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CHILDREN FRONT AND CENTER IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND TO PROTECT MISSISSIPPI'S CHILDREN'S HEALTH COVERAGE AS IT CONSIDERS THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OR ANY REFORMS TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND MEDICAID.

WHEREAS, as elected officials, who in our daily roles represent multiple fields dedicated to improving the well-being of children, we strongly urge the Mississippi Congressional Delegation to keep the unique needs of children front and center and adopt a "do no harm" standard for Mississippi's children as Congress considers any changes to the nation's health care system; and

WHEREAS, today, 95 percent of children in the United States have health coverage, an historic high, thanks in large part to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and

WHEREAS, our nation must continue to move forward, not backwards, for children, their parents and pregnant women, and reserving and expanding child appropriate health coverage and access to quality care for children with special needs in schools or in other child-serving systems which will impact children's opportunities to succeed; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, the American Health Care Act would move children backwards; and

WHEREAS, preserving and protecting Medicaid's funding structure guarantees poor and low-income children and children with disabilities coverage for the services and treatment they need to survive and thrive; and

WHEREAS, the per capita cap proposed for Medicaid in the American Health Care Act will over time deny children critical care and disadvantage them throughout their lives; and

WHEREAS, any change to Medicaid disproportionately affects children, who constitute nearly half of Medicaid recipients, 37 million today, over 400,000 in Mississippi alone; and

WHEREAS, over time, the cap will also harm Medicaid's comprehensive prenatal care for income eligible pregnant women, including many high-risk pregnancies and coverage for nearly half of all births annually in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid also helps schools, child welfare agencies and other child-serving systems get children the special help they need; and

WHEREAS, capping Medicaid spending does not create cost efficiencies; instead, it shifts costs from the federal government to states, counties, local communities, beneficiaries and providers, and such cost shifts will inevitably result in loss of or limits on health coverage for children and other vulnerable populations; and

WHEREAS, investing in the health of children through consistent affordable health coverage yields a significant return on investment, and identifying and treating conditions early, before they become expensive long-term liabilities, is effective; and

WHEREAS, children with health coverage are more likely to attend school, graduate from high school, go to college and become healthier adults, with higher taxable earnings than uninsured children; and

WHEREAS, ensuring children and their parents have access to the medically necessary services they need from providers trained to serve children is critical to positive outcomes; and

WHEREAS, quality health coverage and care are essential for healthy brain development in children's early years, the years of greatest brain development; and

WHEREAS, early childhood teachers can help children learn and develop, but need help to provide the basic early intervention services children with special needs require to thrive; and

WHEREAS, the ACA and Medicaid also help child care providers and other caregivers get health coverage to keep themselves healthy and able to care for others' children; and

WHEREAS, since child health impacts educational attainment, any structural changes to Medicaid or loss of ACA coverage would compromise returns on major investments in children from Early Head Start to college; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid reimburses schools for services delivered to children and the specialized staff who provide them, especially for children with disabilities, and also for students who get critical health services at school, such as vision and hearing screenings; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid offers treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders that can otherwise result in children entering the child protection system and keeping them there, and it helps state and local agencies get treatment to children in foster family homes, children with special needs in residential treatment, children who move from foster care to guardianship, and those with special needs adopted from foster care; and

WHEREAS, Medicaid also provides therapeutic case management, co-location of health experts in child welfare offices, services and treatment for children in foster care with multiple complex needs and often their parents that help shorten their stays in foster care and reunite families; and

WHEREAS, while Medicaid cannot be used to care for youth in detention, it is an essential sometimes life-saving support for some youths with significant health or mental health needs as they transition out of detention and return to their family and community, and it can help strengthen communities by preventing juveniles from re-offending; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby urge the Mississippi Congressional Delegation and the Congress of the United States to protect Mississippi's children's health coverage as they consider the American Health Care Act or any other reforms to the ACA and Medicaid, because any changes that move us backwards and make children less fortunate will jeopardize not only their futures, but Mississippi's future economic growth and security.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to every member of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.