Health Insurance
The Children's Health Insurance Program and the Goldilocks Effect
Did you ever read the story of Goldilocks to your children? In one version of this story, Goldilocks is a tired, hungry, and lost little girl who encounters a house owned by 3 bears. She finds 3 bowls of porridge and judges whether each is too hot, too cold, or just right. She then finds 3 chairs, and determines whether each is too big, too small, or just right. Finally she is tired and finds 3 beds, and she assesses whether each bed is too hard, too soft, or just right. After she eats the porridge, sits in the chair, and lies on the bed that are all “just right,” she falls asleep.Community Health Centers: Medical Homes for Children?
To explore medical home attributes of community health centers (CHCs) that provide care to low-income children nationwide compared to other providers for the poor.Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Celebration of Success!
This special issue of Academic Pediatrics represents a celebration. We honor the careers of several people, the leadership of the Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB), and the achievements of a large number of experts who have helped to improve health care for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). We acknowledge the lessons learned regarding the care of this population, and we recognize the challenges that remain. We celebrate these children and their families.Translational Research and Pediatrics
Translational research is a new buzzword in the health care research field, central to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Roadmap1,2 and promoted by academic institutions that have been awarded NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs).3 Indeed, translational research is heralded by some as a savior of the biomedical research enterprise by hastening the translation of biomedical discoveries to improved patient care.4 Although pediatric translational research is a small part of the overall translational research enterprise, it is important for improving child health and provides new opportunities for researchers from all pediatric disciplines.The Scientific Evidence for Child Health Insurance
As President-elect Obama and the 111th US Congress assume leadership, we hope that they will work together to put children's health issues, and in particular, health insurance for children, on the national agenda. The new leadership will likely address 2 critical policy options related to child health insurance: reauthorization and potential expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and expansion of health insurance to all children. We hope that policy makers keep in mind the substantial body of scientific evidence about SCHIP and child health insurance.
