Padilla, Kim Introduce “MediKids” to Guarantee Healthcare for Every Child in America

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As millions of children remain uninsured or underinsured and Congressional Republicans advance deep cuts to Medicaid, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced the MediKids Act, legislation that would guarantee every child in America access to comprehensive healthcare regardless of their family's income, immigration status, or health condition from birth through age 26.

"At a time when families are watching healthcare become more expensive and MAGA Republicans and Trump are ripping coverage away from millions of Americans, we should be expanding care, not taking it away," said Senator Padilla. "No parent should have to worry whether their child can see a doctor because of cost, health condition, or where they were born. The MediKids Act would guarantee every child the care they need to grow up healthy and give every family the peace of mind they deserve."

"As parents - we promise to do all we can to look after the health and safety of our children. Nothing is more essential than caring for our kids - but as a country, we are failing to uphold that same promise," said Senator Kim. "Millions of children are falling through the cracks of our healthcare system, and we are the only ones who can stand up and help. I built MediKids to be a step we can take right now to guarantee every single child in the United States the care they need, when they need it. No kid should go without care in our country."

Today, more than 4.4 million children in America do not have health insurance, while another 23 million kids are underinsured - meaning their healthcare coverage still leaves families unable to meet their needs. To provide free, high-quality insurance coverage to every kid, MediKids would automatically enroll every child and young adult in America in Medicaid's robust Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, which provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children who are enrolled in Medicaid.

The legislation comes as recent federal actions threaten children's access to healthcare by reducing Medicaid coverage and making it harder for families to enroll and stay covered. Specifically, this legislation would:

• Automatically enroll every child in MediKids at birth;
• Provide continuous coverage through age 26;
• Cover every child regardless of income, immigration status, or health condition; and
• Fully fund coverage through a 100 percent federal match.

In addition to Padilla and Kim, MediKids is co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and endorsed by: First Focus Campaign for Children, What To Expect Project, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, (ACOG), ZERO TO THREE, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), National Association of School Nurses, National Education Association (NEA), Families USA, MomsRising, Save Our Schools, New Jersey Citizen Action, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, and American Academy of Pediatrics.

"At a time when the uninsured rates for children is rising and children face unacceptably high rates of infant and child mortality, a growing mental health crisis, and declining immunization rates, Senator Andy Kim's MediKids bill puts children back on the path toward ensuring all children have health coverage and improved access to care," said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children. "No child in this country should go without health care simply because of what their parents earn, their zip code, or whether they can navigate a complex and fragmented health care system. In an effort to improve the health, development, and well-being of children, MediKids represents the kind of ambitious, child-centered thinking that the moment demands for our children and grandchildren."

"Medicaid is first and foremost a children's program that was created with their health needs in mind, helping families receive everything from milestone checkups, to sick care, to immunizations," said Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Pediatricians see first-hand how Medicaid works for the children and families who rely on it - support that should be available to all children, regardless of where they live or where their parents work, and MediKids would do just that. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds Senator Kim for his leadership on this bill and urges Congress to advance it."

The MediKids Act builds on Padilla's broader effort to expand access to affordable healthcare, including recent legislation to strengthen maternal health coverage through Medicaid, establish healthcare as a protected civil right, and guarantee healthcare for every American through Medicare for All.

• Last week, Padilla joined Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in reintroducing the Mamas First Act, legislation that would help address the maternal mortality crisis by expanding Medicaid coverage to include prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care provided by doulas, midwives, tribal midwives, and lactation support providers.
• Last year, Padilla joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and over 100 lawmakers in reintroducing the Medicare for All Act, legislation that would guarantee healthcare as a fundamental human right to all people in the United States regardless of income or background.
• Padilla and Booker introduced the Equal Health Care for All Act, bicameral legislation that would make equal access to medical care a protected civil right to help address the racial inequities and structural failures in America's healthcare system.

Read the full bill text here.

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