On Sept. 5, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing to consider the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2017 (ACE Kids Act). The bill has earned broad bipartisan support in both the House and Senate as it has moved through the legislative process.

ACC’s Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology Advocacy Work Group has historically supported this piece of legislation that would improve care coordination for children with medical complexities on Medicaid, especially in instances when they would need to visit multiple providers across state lines.

The College joined with more than 15 fellow stakeholder organizations in a variety of efforts to encourage the passage of this legislation. On Aug. 15, the ACC submitted a letter of support to House and Senate champions of the ACE Kids Act. The letter was written and distributed in coordination with the Children’s Hospital Association, an ACC advocacy partner and important voice in the advancement of child health.

“Of the more than 30 million children covered by Medicaid, two million have complex medical conditions such as cancer or congenital heart defects,” wrote ACC President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC. “While the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) has greatly improved over the years, most patients with complex heart defects need special care throughout their lives. CHD patients would benefit from the array of outpatient and community services provided by the ACE Kids Act.”

Keywords: ACC Publications, Cardiology Magazine, Medicaid, Outpatients, Hospitals, Pediatric, Fellowships and Scholarships, Heart Defects, Congenital

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