Ensure continuous care for young children in New York

Each year in our state, 66,000 children ages six and under lose their health insurance because of daunting paperwork and rigid bureaucracy.

It has been proven that loss of Medicaid or Child Health Plus coverage translates to delayed vaccinations and preventive screenings, missed dentist and doctor visits, and emergency room visits for unmet medical needs – all reasons why Gov. Kathy Hochul, and both houses of the State Legislature, have included continuous Medicaid and Child Health Plus coverage from birth to age six in their proposed budgets.

As pediatricians leading our region’s children’s hospitals, we are very aware of challenges facing families from onerous insurance renewal processes and the many benefits continuous coverage would provide to our most vulnerable children.

Insurance coverage improves short and long-term health outcomes and reduces ER visits and hospitalizations. It enables consistent access to preventive visits and vitally important developmental screenings to ensure children are ready for school and prepared to learn.

It improves equitable access to health care as 60% of our state’s Black and Hispanic children are enrolled in a Medicaid program.

For this to be most effective, continuous coverage must be made immediately available to all children 0-6 years, rather than through a phased implementation. The state budget has not been finalized, so it’s imperative Gov. Hochul and the Legislature ensure this continuous coverage is included in its final version.

We applaud our State leaders for getting this far; now it is time to finish the job: our children are counting on us.