WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp was honored for her work to help make sure families and children with special needs and disabilities can access the health care services they need to stay healthy and safe.

During a meeting with leaders of Family Voices – a national organization that is celebrating its 25th year of working to build health care resources for children with special needs and disabilities – Heitkamp was presented with the Family Voices Champions of Children’s Health Award for her steadfast work in advocating for families and children with special needs. Long a champion of protecting and strengthening the ability of North Dakota children and families to access quality health services, Heitkamp has consistently fought back against efforts to deteriorate North Dakotans’ access to health care like the Republican health care repeal bills, and pushed for reforms to improve health care that those on both sides of the aisle can agree on.

“In every town I visit across North Dakota, I hear from mothers, fathers, and family members whose love, care, and devotion to their children with special needs or disabilities is truly inspirational,” said Heitkamp. “When I get up every morning, I think about how I can fight for them. Especially in rural America, families who have the most limited options in terms of accessing or paying for the health services their children need – are too often last in line when it comes to health care priorities in Congress. I will always fight for them by working to protect their access to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program services that often make the difference between life and death for many children, or prevent families from falling into financial ruin.”

“Every child in North Dakota deserves the opportunity to live life to their full potential – including those with disabilities, like my daughter Allison who was born with a rare genetic condition called MPS,” said Jennifer Restemayer, a Family Voices North Dakota family consultant. “Even though Allison is just 16 years old, she requires physical therapy and medical care that would hit any lifetime maximum within just a few years – and would likely be denied the coverage by insurance companies if they were allowed to discriminate based on her preexisting conditions. Fortunately for families like mine across North Dakota, Senator Heitkamp is working to protect Allison and children with disabilities like her. Keeping my daughter healthy and strong is something that I worry about every day, and Senator Heitkamp understands that – and I’m glad she’s fighting the health and wellbeing of all our kids.”

Click here to view a Medium post with videos from North Dakota children with special needs, parents of children with disabilities, individuals with pre-existing conditions like cancer, seniors in nursing homes, and many more explaining how efforts to repeal the current health reform law would hurt them.

Earlier this month, Heitkamp launched a webpage to help North Dakota individuals, families and small businesses to sign up for or change health insurance as health care open enrollment starts and lasts through December 15.

Over the past three and a half years, Heitkamp has offered many reforms that would help the current health reform law work better for families and businesses. She will continue to try to work with Senate Republicans to reach compromise solutions that make health care affordable and accessible for North Dakotans. Since 2013, Heitkamp has also met regularly with her health care advisory board – comprised of health care leaders across North Dakota – to talk with them about health care in the state and improving the health reform law.

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