Key Takeaways:
- What are the AKAC and GKAC Acts? Two bipartisan federal bills working to remove systemic barriers in pediatric cancer and rare disease care by streamlining Medicaid enrollment for out-of-state specialists (AKAC) and accelerating pediatric drug development (GKAC).
- Why do the AKAC and GKAC Acts matter for children with cancer and rare diseases? The AKAC Act eliminates administrative delays that prevent families from accessing specialized care across state lines, while the GKAC Act ensures children gain earlier access to innovative cancer therapies already being studied in adults.
- How would the AKAC Act improve access to pediatric specialists? By creating a simplified enrollment pathway for qualified out-of-state providers already in good standing with Medicare or another state’s Medicaid program, reducing weeks of bureaucratic delays that can compromise treatment outcomes.
- What changes would the GKAC Act bring to pediatric cancer research? It expands FDA authority to require earlier pediatric studies of promising combination therapies and extends the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program through 2029, incentivizing pharmaceutical companies to invest in treatments for children.
- How do access and innovation work together in pediatric care? Improving provider access through AKAC means nothing without better treatments available through GKAC, while innovative therapies developed through GKAC research only help children who can actually reach qualified specialists supported by AKAC reforms.
The Hidden Barriers to Kids’ Healthcare Most Families Face
Two systemic issues create unnecessary obstacles for families seeking specialized pediatric care. Administrative barriers force families to wait weeks for out-of-state Medicaid provider enrollment while their child’s treatment window closes. Research lag excludes children from early-stage drug studies, meaning therapies that could save lives remain unavailable to pediatric patients for years after demonstrating promise in adults.
These issues translate directly into delayed care and fewer treatment options for kids. When a child needs a bone marrow transplant specialist in another state, Medicaid enrollment requirements can add weeks to an already compressed timeline. When a promising combination therapy shows remarkable results in adult cancer patients, children with the same disease type often wait years before that treatment becomes available in pediatric formulations or dosing protocols.
In pediatric cancer, the difference between timely care and delayed care is measured in weeks—and weeks are a luxury children do not have.
What Is the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (AKAC)?
The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act addresses the administrative maze families encounter when seeking out-of-state specialized care. This bipartisan legislation creates an opt-in enrollment pathway for qualified providers already in good standing with Medicare or another state’s Medicaid program, allowing them to participate in multiple state programs without duplicating the entire credentialing process.
The AKAC Act specifically targets children with complex or rare conditions who often need to cross state lines to reach specialists with the expertise their cases require. Families in Nevada frequently travel to California, Arizona, Utah, or even farther for advanced procedures like bone marrow transplant, rare disease treatment protocols, or clinical trials. In these cases, the medical urgency is clear, but the administrative pathway is slow. Under current systems, even when a family identifies the right specialist and secures a referral, Medicaid enrollment requirements in the provider’s state can delay treatment for weeks.
How Does AKAC Remove Red Tape?
What makes AKAC particularly effective is that it reduces administrative duplication while keeping state authority over authorizations and payment rates intact. States maintain control over which providers can participate and how services are reimbursed. The legislation simply removes the redundant paperwork that forces qualified providers to complete separate, lengthy enrollment processes for each state’s Medicaid program.
We’ve seen firsthand how weeks of waiting for a provider to be enrolled can mean the difference between timely treatment and avoidable complications. In pediatric cancer and rare disease care, treatment timing directly affects outcomes. A delay measured in weeks can allow disease progression that makes subsequent treatment less effective or even impossible. The AKAC Act recognizes that children with serious illnesses cannot afford to wait while administrators process paperwork for providers who are already qualified and practicing successfully in neighboring states.
How the Give Kids a Chance Act (GKAC) Brings Innovation to Children Faster
The Give Kids a Chance Act tackles a different but equally critical barrier. Children with cancer shouldn’t have to wait years for access to innovative therapies that are already improving survival rates in adults. Current drug development pathways often study combination therapies in adult populations first, then conduct separate pediatric trials years later if companies choose to pursue pediatric indications. This sequential approach means children miss out on potentially life-saving innovations during their most critical treatment windows.
The GKAC Act expands FDA authority to mandate pediatric studies when adult data already shows promise, particularly for combination therapies. Many of the most effective cancer treatments today involve combining multiple drugs to target disease through different mechanisms. When these combinations demonstrate significant benefits in adult trials, the GKAC Act ensures that pharmaceutical companies must also study appropriate pediatric applications rather than treating pediatric development as optional.
How Does GKAC Incentivize Pharmaceutical Companies?
GKAC not only accelerates pediatric studies, it also strengthens the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program through 2029. This program incentivizes companies to invest in therapies for children with rare diseases by providing vouchers that can expedite FDA review of other drugs in their pipeline. By extending and strengthening this program, the GKAC Act makes pediatric rare disease drug development more financially viable for pharmaceutical companies, addressing the market dynamics that historically under-invest in pediatric populations.
This bill aligns perfectly with our mission to bring the most advanced, research-based treatments to Nevada families. At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, we’ve built our clinical programs around the principle that children deserve access to cutting-edge therapies informed by the latest research. The GKAC Act helps bridge the gap between adult cancer research breakthroughs and their availability to pediatric patients, ensuring that promising innovations reach children during their treatment journey rather than years after they first needed them.
Why Federal Progress Matters for Nevada Families
The AKAC and GKAC Acts complement each other in ways that directly address challenges Nevada families face. One removes red tape that delays treatment. The other accelerates research so that better treatments reach children sooner. Together, they create a system where families can access the right specialists without bureaucratic delays and those specialists have innovative, evidence-based treatment options available.
This federal progress connects directly to our local advocacy work at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. As we work to establish Nevada’s first in-state Pediatric Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant Program, we’re addressing the same fundamental issue the AKAC Act targets—eliminating unnecessary barriers between children and specialized care. When Nevada children no longer need to travel out of state for bone marrow transplants, their families avoid the Medicaid enrollment challenges AKAC addresses. But until that program launches, AKAC will make out-of-state referrals significantly faster and less burdensome.
Similarly, as we advance outpatient treatment models and expand our clinical trial portfolio, the GKAC Act ensures that the innovative therapies we bring to Nevada reflect the latest research developments. Federal and state action work together to make comprehensive, equitable care possible. National legislation creates frameworks that support local program development, while local programs like ours demonstrate the real-world impact of improved access and innovation.
Understanding How Access and Innovation Connect
It’s tempting to view access and innovation as separate policy goals, but in pediatric specialty care, they’re inseparable. The most innovative cancer therapy provides no benefit to a child who cannot reach a qualified oncologist trained to administer it. Conversely, excellent access to specialists means little if those specialists lack effective treatment options.
The AKAC and GKAC Acts recognize this interconnection. By addressing both administrative access barriers and research development timelines, these bills create conditions where children can benefit from medical advances in real time rather than years after those advances occur.
When you’re navigating treatment for a child with a serious illness, you don’t distinguish between “access problems” and “innovation problems.” You simply want your child to see the right doctor and receive the best available treatment as soon as possible. The AKAC and GKAC Acts work together to make that straightforward goal much more achievable.
What Families and Supporters Can Do
While these bills work their way through Congress, families and advocates can take several steps to support their passage and prepare for the improvements they’ll bring. Learning more about both pieces of legislation helps build public understanding of why these specific policy changes matter. Organizations like the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), Children’s Cancer Cause, and the EveryLife Foundation provide resources and advocacy opportunities for those interested in supporting these federal efforts.
Sharing this message with your networks—whether through social media, conversations with local elected officials, or discussions within patient advocacy groups—helps build momentum for bipartisan healthcare improvements that directly benefit children. These bills have attracted support from both sides of the aisle because they address clear, documented problems with practical solutions.
At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, we’ll continue working alongside Nevada families and national partners to make sure no child waits for the care or innovation they deserve. Our advocacy extends from our clinic in Las Vegas to state legislative efforts and national policy conversations, because improving outcomes for children with cancer and rare diseases requires action at every level.
Kids Can’t Wait
The timeline of childhood cancer and rare disease doesn’t align with administrative convenience or traditional drug development schedules.
The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act and the Give Kids a Chance Act recognize this fundamental truth. Kids can’t wait—not for enrollment forms, not for research pipelines, not for tomorrow’s treatments. These bills represent meaningful steps toward a healthcare system that matches the urgency of pediatric illness with the speed of access and innovation children deserve.
As these pieces of legislation move forward, they carry the hopes of every family who has faced bureaucratic delays while seeking specialized care and every family who has watched their child’s treatment options limited by slow pediatric drug development. By breaking down barriers to both access and innovation, the AKAC and GKAC Acts move us closer to a system where every child can reach the right specialist and receive the most advanced care available, regardless of where they live or which state lines they need to cross for treatment.
About the Author: Annette Logan-Parker brings over 30 years of experience in pediatric oncology to her role as Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. She has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children with cancer and ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge treatments for all families.
