Michelle Shankar: We must urge legislators to expand HUSKY to all children

Recently a 14-year-old girl came to my pediatric clinic with her mother. After rooming the patient and taking her vital signs, my medical assistant rushed over to me with an unsettled look on her face. “This patient came to this country two years ago, but this is her first time seeing a primary care doctor.”

My heart sank. A child has been living in our community for two years without a pediatrician?

When I asked what brought them to our clinic, her mother replied, “I just want to know that there is a place we can come to in case my daughter gets hurt or sick.”

“We are so glad to have you here,” I explained. “And while it is absolutely my job to take care of your daughter when she is unwell, it is also very important for me to see her regularly when she is healthy.”

As a primary care pediatrician in Connecticut, I care for children from birth until they transition to adulthood. I follow guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics to provide routine preventive care, including vaccinations, screening and counseling to identify and address physical, mental and social needs. This is particularly important during adolescence, a critical window for physical, cognitive and social development that lasts up to the early 20s.

Her mother explained that because they do not have immigration papers, they have not been eligible to obtain health insurance. She knew that her daughter needed to establish care with a primary care provider, even if that meant paying out-of-pocket to do so.

If my patient were two years younger, this would not be a problem. Since Jan. 1, 2023, children up to age 12 have been eligible to enroll for Connecticut state Medicaid, or HUSKY, regardless of their immigration status.

But childhood does not end at age 12.

This year, a bill was introduced to expand HUSKY enrollment to all income-eligible children and adolescents up to age 26. As of today, the state legislature has allocated only enough to expand enrollment only to age 15. This will not be enough.

Because childhood does not end at age 15, either.

We must urge our legislators to expand HUSKY to all children, adolescents, and young adults through age 26. According to the Department of Social Services, this should cost only 1 percent of the annual state Medicaid budget. It will provide access to primary health care, which in turn will save millions of dollars by preventing expensive complications of untreated health needs.

Opponents of this bill worry that this will drain taxpayer dollars from documented residents who do not support this measure. However, it is important to know that undocumented immigrant families are taxpayers and make significant contributions to Connecticut’s economy. In fact, they pay over $120 million in annual state and local tax contributions in Connecticut. And a clear majority of Connecticut voters do support this bill.

Time is of the essence. The Connecticut state legislature will be voting on a biennial budget, deciding how much funding to allocate to healthcare for our children. I implore everyone to reach out to their state representatives to support this bill. Because no family in the state of Connecticut should wonder whether they will be able to obtain health care for their child. I hope to see my 14-year-old patient grow and develop into a healthy adult. With this legislation, I hope there will be fewer barriers standing in her way.

Michelle Shankar is a general pediatrician.