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Policy Spotlight — How New Legislation Could Open Doors for Pediatric Homecare

The landscape of pediatric home health care depends not just on day-to-day operations, but also on federal and state policy. As children with medical complexity often rely on multiple providers, sometimes across state lines, the burden of bureaucratic hurdles can delay needed care. Fortunately, recent legislation promises to ease some of those obstacles for agencies and families alike.

What’s New: The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 1509)

In early 2025, Congress introduced the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, a bipartisan bill whose goal is to streamline access to critical out-of-state care for children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. Under this bill, qualifying out-of-state providers would be allowed to serve children under age 21 without undergoing redundant screening or enrollment processes for a period of five years.

Qualifying providers must meet certain criteria. They cannot have been excluded from federal or state health-care programs, and they must have previously been enrolled in Medicare or a state Medicaid program under standard risk assessments.

Why It Matters for Pediatric Homecare Agencies

• Faster access to specialized care. Many medically fragile children require specialized treatment that is only available in certain states. By reducing administrative roadblocks, this bill can help ensure children get needed interventions faster.
• Expanded provider networks. Agencies may be able to collaborate with out-of-state providers more easily, supporting continuity of care when children relocate or travel across states.
• Reduced administrative burden. Less duplicate paperwork and fewer delays in provider enrollment means fewer bottlenecks, less frustration for families, and smoother operations for agencies.
• Potential for growth and reach. Agencies using flexible and modern EMR and operations platforms like PediConnect may be better positioned to leverage expanded provider networks and deliver consistent care across regions.

What’s Next and What Agencies Should Do

Because the bill is still under consideration, nothing is guaranteed yet. However, agencies can start preparing now:

• Evaluate your current provider network and consider where out-of-state referrals happen and whether expanded access could improve care continuity.
• Review internal intake and documentation workflows to ensure your systems, such as EMR, billing, and compliance, are ready to integrate remote or out-of-state providers.
• Communicate with referral partners and families to let them know the potential for quicker access to care if the bill passes.
• Leverage flexible platforms like PediConnect. Our design supports multi-state scheduling, documentation, EVV compliance, and charting, making it easier to scale across regions while maintaining high-quality care standards.

The Bottom Line

For pediatric home-health agencies, legislation like the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act represents more than policy. It represents opportunity. By reducing outdated barriers to out-of-state care, this bill can help families access critical services more quickly and help providers expand their impact, especially for medically fragile children whose needs do not stop at state lines. PediConnect is watching this closely and our platform is built so agencies are ready to act when policy catches up to the needs of children.

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