House passes bill introduced by Kaptur to help military families

Healthcare just got one step closer to becoming more accessible for military families, with the help of new legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo).

On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Care for Military Kids Act, which was introduced in May by Ms. Kaptur and U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R., Va.). It now heads to the Senate for approval.

The legislation would amend the Social Security Act to ensure that any dependent of an active duty service member, who currently receives long-term care services through a state-administered Medicaid plan, would continue to receive those services if the family becomes stationed in another state.

“I introduced this bipartisan legislation alongside Congresswoman Kiggans, and am thankful to those who helped ensure its swift passage,” Ms. Kaptur said in a statement. “Our servicemembers commit their lives to the safety and security of all Americans. It is essential we ensure that dependents of active duty servicemembers do not lose their critical healthcare coverage through Medicaid and CHIP as their families transfer locations while in service to our nation.”

She added that “through this bipartisan effort we will prevent military families from facing the burden of healthcare insecurity and uncertainty. I I am grateful for the bipartisan support this bill and our military community have received and look forward to Senate passage so we can send this legislation to the president's desk to be signed into law.”

Because Medicaid is regulated by state governments, the portability of benefits is not guaranteed.

According to the Children’s Hospital Association, 3 million children in military-connected families are eligible for or covered by Medicaid. If the bill passes the Senate, it will ensure that those services remain consistent despite where the family is deployed.