Health Plan May Lessen Poor Children’s Benefits

Some Administration officials and advocates for children believe that President Clinton’s health plan may eliminate certain benefits received by millions of poor children on Medicaid, a published report said.

The New York Times reported in today’s editions that under the proposed health plan, some Medicaid recipients under 21 could lose some of the benefits they now take for granted.

Those benefits include transportation to and from their doctor, certain types of hearing and vision care and some physical rehabilitation and special education services, the paper said.

Those extra services would still be available to 11 million children receiving welfare payments under Aid to Families With Dependent Children or the Supplemental Security Income program but not necessarily to 7 million other children now covered by Medicaid, the story said.

The report said health and education officials who work with children want to make sure that no Medicaid recipients lose any benefits in the Administration’s revamped system.

“The new benefit package excludes coverage for treatment needed by many low-income children with chronic physical, mental and developmental disabilities,” said one senior Administration official who asked not to be identified.

A senior health policy adviser to Clinton, Judy Feder, told the newspaper that the White House was aware of the problem.

She was quoted as saying that “the issue is under review” and that under the proposed plan, Medicaid recipients would indeed receive all the care they needed.