Miller-Meeks, Grassley usher children's health bill to law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation led by Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) and Senator Chuck Grassley, which will improve access to life-saving care for children with complex medical conditions is now law after being signed as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 funding package.
The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, first introduced by Miller-Meeks in the 118th Congress, then reintroduced in the 119th, helps ensure children can receive specialized medical care across state lines by reducing Medicaid-related administrative barriers, while maintaining strong program integrity safeguards.
“This legislation is about putting children and families first,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks. “When a child has a complex medical condition, time matters. Families should not have to navigate endless red tape to access the best possible care for their child. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act helps ensure children can get timely, coordinated, life-saving treatment when and where it’s available.”
This legislation was led in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) who had this to say of the bills passage:

“The last thing parents of children with complex medical conditions ought to battle is endless red tape to get the most effective specialist, treatment or procedure for their kids. They should be able to access this care quickly and wherever it’s available, whether that’s around the corner or across state lines. I’m glad to see the Senate approve our legislation to simplify the process so moms and dads don’t have to burn time fighting regulatory hurdles,” Grassley said. 
“For children with complex medical conditions, bureaucratic red tape should not be an obstacle to care. This bipartisan legislation will make it easier for families to navigate our health care system and relieve some of the stress that they face to get their kids the care they need when they need it,” Bennet said. 
This legislations passage has also received strong support from the healthcare community.
“Nobody likes dealing with red tape, but when children with cancer encounter it, the stakes are exponentially higher,” said E. Anders Kolb, MD, president and CEO at Blood Cancer United. “Delays that children face when seeking out-of-state care can be dangerous, or even deadly. Our youngest cancer patients deserve better—and the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is an enormous step forward. Thank you to Representative Miller-Meeks for her leadership in passing this critical legislation.” 
A full list of the 216 organizations supporting the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is available HERE.