WASHINGTON, DC — Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families released an
analysis of the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act and its impact on children in need of affordable health care coverage.

“The measure would weaken the cost-effective Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program that have worked so successfully to help uninsured children,” said Jocelyn Guyer, co-executive director of the research institute. “At a time when one in five children are living in poverty and many parents are unable to find affordable health coverage for their families, it does not seem to be a wise policy choice to undermine cost-effective programs that have helped protect the health of our nation’s children.”

The report identified two provisions as posing the greatest threat to children’s health care coverage:

• The repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s stability protections, also known as “maintenance- of-effort” provisions, that have helped children and families maintain access to affordable coverage and helped drive down the number of uninsured children to the lowest level on record.
• The cancellation of an innovative, pay-for-performance program that has encouraged states to connect eligible children to coverage.

The full House of Representatives passed the measure today. The U.S. Senate is not expected to take up the House legislation and the Administration has committed to vetoing the bill if it reaches the President’s desk.

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