AAP Statement Opposing Proposed Cuts to Key Child Health Programs

By: Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics 

“The American Academy of Pediatrics is deeply concerned by the policies being considered as part of the budget reconciliation process, which include steep funding cuts and changes to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other vital programs that keep children and families healthy. 

“The range of programs facing cuts covers important services and support for children, from making health care coverage affordable through Medicaid and financial help paying premiums to providing access to healthy food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These programs and policies touch the daily lives of millions of families, and the policies currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives would have a real, wide-reaching impact on child health. Medicaid is the backbone of the health care system for children, and cuts to the program will have consequences for all children in our communities, not only those enrolled in the program.  

“Hardworking families across the country depend on these and other federally funded programs to meet their children’s needs. Cuts to all of these programs, including shifting costs to states, is short-sighted. Doing so will make it even harder for pediatricians to do their jobs and prevent families from accessing the services they need.  

“Put plainly, we shouldn’t ask children to bear the burden of paying for other policy priorities, such as tax cuts. The policies and cuts under consideration will harm children’s health. When we protect these programs, we invest in children’s health, make America healthier and support our country’s future. Pediatricians urge lawmakers to reject cuts to these programs and put children first.”  

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.