Senator Kim is fighting for guaranteed healthcare for every kid in America.

MediKids brings us closer to universal coverage by:

• Automatically enrolling every child in healthcare coverage at birth, with the option to opt out;
• Providing continuous eligibility until age 26, regardless of income or health condition; and
• Covering 100% of the cost of coverage for this population, removing the burden from the states.

Right now, nearly 4.5 million children do not have health insurance and another 23 million children—about 1 in 3 kids—are underinsured, meaning the care they do have is unable to meet their needs. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Research shows: healthy kids make healthy adults. For every dollar invested in healthcare, the government almost doubles its return on investment.

As a country, we are moving in the wrong direction in terms of the number of uninsured children, but even one uninsured child is too many. Senator Kim believes that you deserve to be able to take care of your kids without going into debt, emptying your savings, or straining the family budget.

We all juggle a lot. MediKids means you juggle less.

Click here to see the current list of co-sponsors.

MediKids is endorsed by: First Focus Campaign for Children, What To Expect Project, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), ZERO TO THREE, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), National Association of Nurses, National Education Association (NEA), Families USA, NAACP NJ, Save Our Schools, New Jersey Citizen Action, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, The Arc of NJ, The New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, CASA of New Jersey, and the National Council on Severe Autism – NJ Chapter.

“At a time when the uninsured rate for children is rising and children face unacceptably high rates of infant and child mortality, a growing mental health crisis, and declining immunization rates, Senator Andy Kim’s MediKids bill puts children back on the path toward ensuring all children have health coverage and improved access to care. No child in this country should go without health care simply because of what their parents earn, their zip code, or whether they can navigate a complex and fragmented health care system. In an effort to improve the health, development, and well-being of children, MediKids represents the kind of ambitious, child-centered thinking that the moment demands for our children and grandchildren.”

– Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children

Read Bruce’s full Substack post.

“Medicaid is first and foremost a children’s program that was created with their health needs in mind, helping families receive everything from milestone checkups, to sick care, to immunizations. Pediatricians see first-hand how Medicaid works for the children and families who rely on it – support that should be available to all children, regardless of where they live or where their parents work, and MediKids would do just that. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds Senator Kim for his leadership on this bill and urges Congress to advance it.”

– Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics

“The MediKids Act is a powerful investment in racial justice and health equity. No child should be denied access to care because of their family’s income, employment status, or zip code. By guaranteeing healthcare coverage from birth through age 26, this legislation has the potential to change the trajectory of millions of lives and help close the persistent health gaps that disproportionately impact communities of color…

In the wealthiest nation on earth, allowing children to go without healthcare is unacceptable. Black and brown children deserve more than promises—they deserve access, opportunity, and justice.

Healthcare justice is racial justice, and the time to act is now.”

– Richard T. Smith, President, NAACP New Jersey State Conference