Sen. Sinema Working to Expand Arizona Children's Access to Care

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona, issued the following news release:

Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act - bipartisan legislation expanding children's access to care outside of their own states when needed. The Sinema-backed legislation eliminates difficult barriers for providers caring for children with complex medical needs on the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) who have to travel out of Arizona for treatment, to see a specialist, or to enter clinical trials.

"Arizona children should have access to life-saving care when they need it, regardless of where their families or the best doctors and hospitals are located. We're eliminating difficult barriers so Arizona families can access the care they need for their children and health providers can focus on their patients and not paperwork," said Sinema.

CHIP provides health insurance coverage for children on Medicaid. When specialty pediatric care is only available outside of Arizona, children with complex care needs and their providers must complete complicated paperwork to comply with each state's Medicaid provider screening and enrollment requirements - delaying the ability to get approved for timely surgery or treatments.

The Sinema-backed Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act creates an alternative screening and enrollment pathway only available to providers who care for children with time-sensitive treatment needs.

Sinema often hears from Arizona families with children living with complex medical conditions who regularly require specialized care - including some Arizona families who have traveled to California or other states to receive care for rare pediatric genetic disorders.

Sinema's bipartisan legislation helps Arizona families avoid delays in care and assists providers in being able to quickly get enrolled in their out-of-state patient's Medicaid or CHIP programs.

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Original text here: https://www.sinema.senate.gov/sinema-working-to-expand-arizona-childrens-access-to-care/