From October 03, 2022 post.
Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) made the following statement applauding the official implementation of his 2019 law, the Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act.
“I’m grateful that advanced medical procedures and disease management strategies have improved life expectancy for children with complex medical needs. These exceptional developments have resulted in a clear need for improvements to assist vulnerable children and their families. That’s why I’ve worked hard to provide patients with better health outcomes through the Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act.
“Signed into law in 2019, I’m thrilled that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has met the deadline of October 1 to implement this legislation. I’m looking forward to states utilizing this new home health option and CMS working to approve state plans, and I urge CMS to continue their partnership with states and stakeholders on this effort.
“Families will face less red tape on their road to getting the quality care they need. Children with complex medical needs see five to six specialists and up to as many as 20 to 30 allied health professionals, so helping parents navigate the bureaucracy is a much-needed, commonsense policy. While I will continue to monitor the new policy to ensure it’s carried out and works as Congress intended, I’m optimistic that it will cut red tape, begin to lower costs, reduce emergency room visits, improve outcomes and provide these families with peace of mind,” Grassley said.
“We are excited to mark the implementation of the ACE Kids law that will help improve coordinated, specialized care for children with complex medical conditions,” said Mark Wietecha, CEO of Children’s Hospital Association. “ACE Kids will help supply data-driven insights identifying areas in which to improve the quality of care, removing barriers to access, and streamlining services. Children with medically complex conditions and their families deserve integrated and coordinated high-quality care, and we look forward to working with states to provide it.”
Grassley and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the ACE Kids Act in February 2019. Under Grassley’s leadership as then-chairman of the Finance Committee, the bipartisan legislation sailed through Congress and was signed into law just two months later. This year, as the statutory deadline for implementation by October 1, 2022 approached, Grassley and Bennet sent a letter to CMS pushing for an update on ACE Kids Act implementation. Last month, Grassley and Bennet praised CMS for issuing required guidance, showing the agency was on track for timely implementation.
The ACE Kids Act allows children with medically-complex conditions to choose to enroll in a health home – if a state Medicaid program permits – in an effort to improve care coordination and health outcomes. Specifically, this law helps CMS and state Medicaid programs align rules and reimbursements to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and provide better care coordination for children with complex medical needs.
The legislation was supported by over 30 organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the Children’s Hospital Association and March of Dimes.
Original source can be found here
