(The Center Square) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed the Care for Military Kids Act, ensuring service members and their dependents can maintain critical health care coverage and services as they relocate.
The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Republican Virginia Congresswoman Jen Kiggans and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio.
The legislation would amend the Social Security Act. Dependents of active-duty service members receiving long-term services through state-administered Medicaid plans would “remain eligible” for the same services if the service member and dependents make a permanent change of duty station.
Since Medicaid is operated by states, portability of benefits “related to home and community-based” health care services are not guaranteed to be transferred between states.
The legislation says the lack of guaranteed services between states puts individuals and families at risk of losing service. The congresswomen underscore that this “particularly impacts dependents of military servicemembers” who are frequently transferred due to military service.
The lawmakers cited a Children’s Hospital Association report that “underscores Medicaid’s significance in enabling healthcare access” for almost 3 million military-connected families.
The report says military-connected children covered by TRICARE, a health plan funded by the Department of Defense, “are more likely to have specialized and complex health care needs, and to have a behavioral health diagnosis compared to children with other insurance coverage.”
The report says the specialized and complex health care needs are a compounding stressor and is a “complicated system of health coverage,” which can vary from state to state. The complexities often require families to switch health care coverage.
Medicaid can provide crucial services to military-connected children with “medically complex health care needs” that may not otherwise be available under TRICARE or other insurance coverage.
The report notes that Medicaid provides “all enrolled children with comprehensive, age-appropriate, medically necessary health care services,” which include “immunizations, well-child checkups, diagnostic and treatment services, developmental services, vision and dental services,” and mental and behavioral health services.
Kiggans drew from her own military experience to applaud Congress’ efforts in passing the legislation while urging the Senate to act quickly.
“As a Navy spouse, mother of four, and a veteran who served for nearly 10 years myself,” Kiggans said, “I firmly believe servicemembers should be able to maintain health care coverage for their children when they are relocated. I am thankful my colleagues agree and passed my bipartisan bill unanimously.
“I urge the Senate to act on this legislation quickly so we can ensure military children have access to the consistent health care coverage and medical care they need to lead healthy, happy lives. They should never have to forgo critical care because of their parents’ selfless decision to serve.”