Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, celebrated the signing of two of her bipartisan children’s health bills into law after they were passed as part of a larger health care package. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act represent years of work to break down insurance barriers and ensure children with serious and complex medical needs can access lifesaving care without delay.

“For far too long, children battling rare diseases have been left to fend for themselves in a slow, complex health care system that underinvests in the treatments and cures they need while burying their families in paperwork, delays, and denials,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “These bills change that. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act cuts through red tape so children can receive lifesaving treatments without delay, and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act ensures continued investment in therapies for rare pediatric diseases. Together, they give families hope and children a fighting chance.”

First introduced by Trahan in 2023, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act addresses harmful delays caused by insurance prior authorization requirements for children with complex and chronic conditions. The bill streamlines approval processes for pediatric specialists and treatments, helping ensure that children battling rare diseases can receive timely, often lifesaving care without families facing repeated denials or dangerous treatment delays.

The Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, which Trahan has worked to advance since first introducing the legislation in 2024, renews and improves the Creating Hope Priority Review Voucher program, a highly successful initiative that has helped bring new therapies and treatments to market for children with medical conditions that historically lacked investment. Reauthorizing the program ensures continued progress toward cures for rare childhood diseases that might otherwise be overlooked.

Both bills were developed in close partnership with families, patient advocates, researchers, and pediatric providers, and gained bipartisan support as Trahan worked across multiple Congresses to reintroduce, refine, and advance the legislation.

“Children with cancer have no time to waste when it comes to getting the right treatment. Delays can be dangerous—or even deadly,” said E. Anders Kolb, MD, President and CEO of Blood Cancer United. “That’s why the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is so crucial: it spares families from needless delays when time is of the essence. We are incredibly grateful to Representative Trahan for her leadership on this life-saving legislation.”

“NORD is grateful to see rare disease priorities, including the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, signed into law by the President as part of the Labor-HHS spending bill. Reauthorizing the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher program is a vital step to incentivize the development of treatments for children with rare and life-threatening conditions. We thank Rep. Lori Trahan and all the champions of this bill for their leadership on behalf of rare disease families nationwide,” said National Organization for Rare Disorders CEO Pamela Gavin.

“The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act is a real solution to a real problem faced by children and the providers who care for them. It will make the process easier for children in the Medicaid and CHIP programs with medical complexity who need to cross state lines for care and for their families, who often face barriers in accessing care in a timely manner,” said Boston Children’s Hospital CEO Dr. Kevin Churchwell. “Boston Children’s joined with more than 200 diverse stakeholders, including peer hospitals and patient advocacy groups, in advancing this policy solution. It is heartening to see this thoughtful and bipartisan measure pass through the Congress and be signed into law. This exciting development will help to remove barriers that often lead to worse outcomes for children and higher healthcare costs. I am so grateful to U.S. Congresswomen Trahan and Miller-Meeks for their leadership in the House and U.S. Senators Grassley and Bennet in the Senate.”

###