Across the US, there is currently a shortage of physician specialists in many fields, including cardiology. A recent study found that 46.3% of counties across the US, of which 86.2% are rural, don't have a single cardiologist, and a further 10% of counties have only one. For interventional cardiology, those numbers are even lower.
In the past, for children with complex and congenital medical conditions requiring highly specialized care that is unavailable in their home communities, this has delayed life-saving treatment, jeopardizing their outcomes.
Championed by SCAI, the enactment of the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act, a bipartisan law signed in February 2026 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, establishes a streamlined national Medicaid and CHIP enrollment pathway for eligible out‑of‑state providers, eliminating redundant screening requirements and allowing children to receive specialized care when that expertise is unavailable in their home state.
By removing unnecessary administrative barriers, the law ensures that access to pediatric specialty care is determined by medical need rather than geography or bureaucracy. SCAI has applauded the legislation as a critical, life‑saving reform that prioritizes children and families, reduces delays in time‑sensitive care, and supports a more equitable and patient‑centered health care system—particularly for children with congenital heart disease and other complex conditions.
