Senate gives initial approval to Sen. Carney bill to provide continuous health care coverage for children under six years of age

This bill ensures access to health care through Medicaid or CHIP for kids from age 0 to 6.

AUGUSTA — On Monday, June 2, a bipartisan majority of the Maine Senate voted in support of LD 896, “An Act To Provide Young Children Stable Access to Health Care.” This bill, sponsored by Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, would provide continuous health insurance coverage to children from birth until they turn six. The vote was 21 to 13 in favor of the bill. On Tuesday, June 3, the House voted 74 to 71 in support of the bill.

“Our kids are our future, and they deserve to be healthy,” said Sen. Carney. “Providing eligible children with continuous Medicaid coverage during their first five years will ensure they have access to essential care. Continuous health insurance prevents gaps in coverage, increases access to care and reduces expensive emergency room visits — all of which help parents focus on getting their young children to the doctor, instead of worrying if they can at all. This investment pays dividends for years to come, leading to improved outcomes in school and beyond. It even correlates to higher earnings in adulthood. Let’s set Maine children and our state up for successful futures.”

LD 896 would require that any child who is eligible for and enrolls in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) maintain their eligibility continuously until they turn six. There are exceptions to coverage for typical situations in which a family no longer needs coverage, such as if a family moves to another state, if the parents request termination of the child’s coverage or if eligibility was granted in error. As detailed by the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services would write routine technical rules to implement this change and would petition the federal government for the necessary waiver to do so.

In his testimony in support of the bill at the March public hearing, Dr. Syd Sewall, on behalf of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Medical Association and Maine Osteopathic Association, said, “A child’s eligibility for either public or private coverage can sometimes be a roller coaster — as the family structure changes, guardians get a new job then lose it, family crises interfere with renewals. … Even temporary gaps in coverage can be financially devastating… Remember that improving the health care of children is not wasteful spending — it’s an investment with large eventual returns…”

LD 896 now faces additional votes in the House and Senate.

Sen. Carney represents Maine Senate District 29, which includes South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and part of Scarborough.

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