Earlier this month a news story ran that discussed the issue of children and medications. The story focused on the fact that American children are taking more medicines than ever before – with specific attention being given to childhood obesity, one of the most crucial public health problems facing our nation.
We will soon have a new First Family who can play an important role in communicating about this very important issue. With young children in the White House the difficult conversation about childhood obesity, diet, exercise and parental responsibility can be addressed in a new and powerful way. It’s a tremendous opportunity.
This is also an important issue relative to SCHIP – certainly to be one of the first healthcare initiatives to be taken up by the new Congress. And to that end, I wanted to share my letter that appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Baltimore Sun:
Give more children access to medicines November 9, 2008
It's a shame that so many young Americans are struggling with obesity ("Many more children on medication, study says," Nov. 3).
But the fact that kids today have access to a range of prescription medications is a good thing. When I was a boy, the only remedy for the medical conditions associated with excessive weight was diet and exercise.
To increase access to these cutting-edge medicines, we must expand access to health insurance coverage.
That's why the new Obama administration should make it a priority to enroll qualifying children in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, 75 percent of children without health insurance are eligible for these programs.
Peter Pitts, New York
There are a lot of contentious issues about SCHIP reauthorization – but one problem that is rarely discussed is that over six million children who currently qualify for the program have not signed up. Achieving that goal should be a priority of our new President and Congress.
And having two children on the White House lawn chasing a puppy might just be a good way to start.
Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.
