As the Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Wisconsin, our state’s only independent pediatric health system, I work with our providers and staff to deliver the best and safest care in all the places we connect with kids and families – in our hospitals and clinics as well as out in the community. While each team member at Children’s Wisconsin has a unique and important role, we share a common understanding: Medicaid matters to kids. In fact, Medicaid matters to all of us. Let me explain why.
Medicaid provides the foundation for children’s health care in Wisconsin. It supports all kids and families, whether your family directly benefits from Medicaid coverage or not.
What is Medicaid?
Medicaid, often referred to in Wisconsin as BadgerCare, Forward Health or Title 19, is a federal- and state-funded health insurance program that ensures qualifying children have access to the care they need. Medicaid is the single largest health insurer for children in the Unites States. In Wisconsin, half of all the people covered by Medicaid are kids. Medicaid covers about 500,000 Wisconsin kids each year — that’s more than one-third of the children in our state.
How Does Medicaid Help Kids?
One of the most important features of Medicaid for kids is the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, which ensures children receive the health screenings and care they need. It allows kids to get regular check-ups, dental visits, mental health care, immunizations, medications and other critical preventive health care services. When we keep kids healthy, we reduce the need for more complex, and costly, medical interventions later. In addition to being good for kids’ health — investing in Medicaid makes economic sense, too.
Medicaid is also a critical source of coverage for children with complex or chronic health issues. This includes children that have both private insurance and Medicaid, which fills in where private insurance doesn’t provide coverage. Medicaid helps with the frequent appointments, tests and procedures that kids with complex conditions require. It also covers services that allow kids to live and thrive at home and attend school — things like in-home nursing support, therapies and medical equipment.
The reality is, any family, no matter their financial situation, may depend on Medicaid in a moment’s notice. At Children’s Wisconsin, we see families face unexpected diagnoses and injuries every day that require support beyond what their primary insurance covers. Medicaid is a critical safety net for all children.
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Medicaid Supports Pediatric Health Care
More than 50% of our hospital inpatient visits are covered by Medicaid. Because so many kids we care for are covered by Medicaid, the program is essential to maintaining all the critical services we offer in the hospital and community, retaining experts specially trained to care for kids, and supporting innovative treatments. However, there remain challenges as Medicaid pays hospitals well below other government and private payers ¬– in Wisconsin that is just 63% of our costs, significantly less than the national average of 88%. That’s why if we want to continue to have a robust pediatric health system across the country and in Wisconsin, it’s essential to invest in Medicaid. All kids benefit when we support Medicaid.
The Real Impact of Medicaid on Wisconsin Kids
We see the impact of Medicaid every day across our system. A strong Medicaid program helps us provide the programs, services and care that all kids need to be healthy and well. The half-a-million kids in Wisconsin covered by Medicaid aren’t statistics or numbers on a page. These are kids in each of our communities whose lives are better because of Medicaid. I encourage you to read some of their stories. You also can speak up to keep Medicaid strong for kids by signing up for Children’s Advocacy Network. With your help, we can ensure that all kids — including those covered by Medicaid — continue to have access to the care they need.
