"Medicaid matters to children," conference told

The USA's leading children's health care leaders gathered at a meeting this month to begin building a coalition safeguarding Medicaid and improving quality measurement standards. the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, along with the National Association of Children's Hospitals, joined forces to create an alliance advocating for quality improvement measures to strengthen Medicaid and improve the state of pediatric practice.

80% of recipients are children

"Medicaid has changed dramatically over the past 20 to 30 years," stated Steven Altschuler, president and chief executive of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The fear is that the government will run out of money, that Medicaid will go bankrupt. This is a crisis. Medicaid is a safety net for a large segment of our population - and especially for children. 80% of Medicaid recipients are children - yet children represent only 20% of Medicaid utilization. As Medicaid funding is reduced, children bear the brunt of those cuts," Dr Altschuler added.