Children’s HealthWatch published a new policy brief on the consequences for children when caregivers have to make tradeoffs on basic health and household expenses.
Affordable Health Care Keeps Children and Families Healthy
Children’s HealthWatch finds that the health of young children is negatively affected when parents have to forego health care for themselves or other adult members of the household or when parents have to forego payment of household expenses in order to pay for health care. Children in families who struggle to pay for health care are at increased risk for health problems, developmental delays and food insecurity. The health and well-being of their mothers also suffer. Access to quality, affordable health care for all family members is essential to children’s health and development. It is critical that all plans for health care reform ensure that parents can afford quality health care for the whole family.
