Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act of 2025
Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Kids' Access to Primary Care Act of 2025 - Summary **What the Bill Would Do** This bill aims to improve children's access to primary care by increasing what Medicaid pays doctors and other healthcare providers. Specifically, it would require Medicaid to pay at least as much as Medicare does for primary care services. The bill also expands which types of providers qualify for these higher payments, including obstetricians (doctors who deliver babies) and other practitioners currently not fully covered. The goal is to make primary care services more attractive to healthcare providers, potentially encouraging more of them to accept Medicaid patients. **Who It Affects and Key Details** The bill primarily affects children covered by Medicaid (the government insurance program for low-income families) and the healthcare providers who serve them.
It requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to study how many children are enrolled in Medicaid, how many providers participate, and what payment rates look like before and after the bill takes effect. This research would help assess whether the higher payments actually improve access to care for children. **Current Status** The bill is currently in committee, meaning it has been introduced but not yet voted on by the full House of Representatives. It was sponsored by Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA).
CRS Official Summary
Kids' Access to Primary Care Act of 2025This bill modifies payments for Medicaid primary care services. Specifically, the bill applies a Medicare payment rate floor to Medicaid primary care services that are provided after the date of enactment of the bill and extends the payment rate to additional types of practitioners (e.g., obstetricians).The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must conduct a study on the number of children enrolled in Medicaid, the number of providers receiving payment for primary care services, and associated payment rates before and after the bill's implementation.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.