Emerging Issues
Decline in Routine Childhood Vaccinations Puts Children, Families and Communities at Risk of Outbreak
In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that provider orders for non-influenza childhood vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program had decreased by a total of about 11.7 million doses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These numbers are shockingly high, but likely underestimate the total number of missed doses. (The […]
Documenting the Harm of the Decline in Pediatric Visits: A Survey and Report from the Institute for Child Success
The Commonwealth Fund continues to track changes in outpatient visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, with October 2020 data showing outpatient care generally returning to pre-pandemic levels after the sharp decline of nearly 60 percent in late April. But the data also show that visits for younger children remain substantially below the prepandemic baseline and visits […]
Survey Shows Single-Parent Households with Young Children Bear the Brunt of COVID-Related Stress
COVID-19 is affecting every part of family life, and for parents of young children the financial strain, emotional stress, and burden of care are especially overwhelming. We know that the emotional wellbeing of parents affects their children’s development, especially in the early years of life. In a recent report of a weekly survey to about […]
Can a Biden Administration Reverse the Rise in Uninsured Children?
A few weeks ago I blogged about how a Biden Administration could go about unwinding Medicaid Section 1115 work reporting requirement waivers. Since Section 1115 demonstrations are clearly in the purview of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, a Biden Administration is in the driver’s seat (within the confines of the statute of course!) […]
National Strategy Needed to Close Health Care Gaps, Protect Children’s Health and Well-Being
New research from the Urban Institute, “Urgent Action Needed to Address Children’s Unmet Health Care Needs during the Pandemic,” identifies the problems families with children are facing and some proven solutions, but explains that without a coordinated, national response, it’s unlikely that the children most at risk will get needed supports. Instead, as the authors […]
New Urban Institute Estimates of 1.7 Million More Uninsured Children if Supreme Court Overturns Affordable Care Act
On Tuesday, November 10, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for California v. Texas, a case in which a group of conservative attorneys general led by the Texas Attorney General and the Trump Administration are seeking to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA). Researchers from the Urban Institute recently projected that the number […]
