Jack Reed: “Children should not be left out of the health care quality debate. I rise today to introduce legislation that provides…”

“Children should not be left out of the health care quality debate. I rise today to introduce legislation that provides common sense consumer protections for children in managed care. I am pleased that Senators Kennedy and Murray are cosponsors of this legislation. Not one of us can deny that managed care plays a valid role in our health care system. Managed care's emphasis on preventive care has benefits for young and old alike. And HMOs have resulted in lower co-payments for consumers and higher immunization rates for our children. But all too often these days we read a story in the paper about a child whose unique health care needs have not been met. While the problems are clear, it is difficult to say how big a problem we have on our hands. However, the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. And when it comes to our children, we should not take risks. While there has not been a great deal of child-specific research in this area, one recent study by Elizabeth Jameson at the University of California compared the experiences of chronically ill children in California's Medicaid program to those in private managed care. There was an interesting irony in the study's findings--low income children in public programs receive age appropriate care that is consistent with recognized clinical guidelines, while those in private health plans often do not.”