I believe Florida has a fundamental responsibility to protect our children and ensure they have every opportunity to grow up healthy and strong. That includes making sure families can access the doctors, treatments and healthcare services their children depend on, especially those caring for childr en with developmental conditions and other complex needs. So it might surprise you when I say that one of the biggest problems confronting Florida children today comes from a math error deep in the state government. It’s a small mistake, but one that’s causing big problems for children’s healthcare. It began when the department that administers Medicaid, called the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), added behavior analysis services to Florida’s traditional Medicaid coverage. This is great news. Behavior analysis services (BAS) are therapies relied upon by children with developmental conditions such as autism. By shifting them from a fee-for-service model to the same Medicaid payments that cover most pediatrics, the AHCA is sending a message: these kids, often bullied and left out, are welcome in our state. The problem lies in the funding formula. The AHCA calculated the cost of BAS as though these services were used equally across children and adults, when in reality they are used almost exclusively by kids. Every child and adult who needs BAS should receive it. But dollars intended to cover BAS should follow those who actually use their services, rather than a set amount being arbitrarily allocated across age groups where there is little or no BAS utilization. Otherwise, money that could support ordinary pediatric care is unnecessarily pulled from the broader pool that pays for children’s doctors, checkups, and other medical needs. We risk defunding pediatricians in order to pay for special needs kids’ therapies. That’s in no one’s interest. Since the funding change took effect, close to $300 million has been lost from Florida’s pediatric primary care in under two years. Our state’s pediatricians are now being reimbursed 15 percent less—these are the same doctors who treat our children’s ear infections and cases of the flu.At the same time, millions of Florida children rely on Medicaid for access to healthcare, many of them from families already facing significant financial pressures. AHCA’s policy change risks making it harder for those children to access the pediatric care they need. As the parents of two teenage daughters, my wife and I have a special appreciation for pediatric doctors who have always been there for our children – and for us – in times of illness or simply to answer our questions and provide reassurance. As a member of the Miami-Dade County School Board and a member of Congress representing South Florida, I always did my best to prioritize children’s healthcare and make government programs more effective and efficient. I urge today’s policymakers to do the same by addressing this flaw in our Medicaid reimbursement system. Florida’s government has invested billions over the past several years into everything from school policing to combating the opioid crisis to targeting child predators. Last month, our state rescued 163 kids from the clutches of human traffickers, a remarkable win that makes your heart soar. But in addition to protecting children, we need to support their healthcare. It’s time for the AHCA to take a second look at its funding formula and make sure children with autism and other conditions get the resources they need and that our pediatricians who are serving at the front lines are fairly compensated. Every child deserves to grow up in a society that prioritizes them. A Florida with strong children’s healthcare—as well as good policing and education and parks—is a Florida that will not just raise strong kids but attract more families to live and work here. It’s a cliché to say that children are our most important resource, but it’s true. And if a government’s funding reflects its priorities, then Florida shouldn’t hesitate to invest more in its most vulnerable children. Our state has a growing population and a strong economy. For our children and their families, let’s properly invest in pediatric care by fixing this flaw in AHCA’s funding formula.     Carlos Curbelo represented South Florida in the U.S. Congress from 2015 to 2019. The post Florida Can Prioritize Child Safety by Protecting Pediatricians appeared first on Miami’s Community News. ...read more read less