Congress needs to finish the job - America's children need healthcare reform

It is time for the U.S. House of Representatives to finish the job and pass health reform

As a pediatrician, I can tell you firsthand that our children are hurting. Not only do I see children whose parents don’t have the high-quality, affordable health care coverage they need and deserve, but it is also clear that children are directly suffering. In the last several months I have seen a child become critically ill because they could not afford medicines to treat a chronic illness and a child whose life-threatening diagnosis was delayed after their parents lost jobs and subsequently their health insurance coverage - this should not be happening in our country.

All children in the United States should be able to have health care coverage and medical benefits that address their unique needs. If the House passes its measure, uninsurance in the United States would decrease by more than half, the Children’s Health Insurance Program would receive additional federal funding, and all children in the United States with private and public insurance would receive comprehensive, age-appropriate preventive benefits right away, for no co-pay. These proposed reforms will help children and families in Michigan. As the foundation of our country, children have the most at stake in this debate, because they will be the first ones to inherit the system we are working to reform. The reasons children need health reform today are just as strong as they were last year when this debate began. Let’s take care of our children and finish the job on health reform.

Stephen Patrick, MD, MPH Ann Arbor