Tuesday, August 21, 2007

New Bush Policies Limit Reach of Child Insurance Plan

The Bush administration, engaged in a battle with Congress over whether a popular children's health insurance program should be expanded, has announced new policies that will make it harder for states to insure all but the lowest-income children.
New administrative hurdles, which state health officials were told about late last week, are aimed at preventing parents with private insurance for their children from availing of the government-subsidized State Children's Health Insurance Program. But Democrats and children's advocates said that the announcement will jeopardize coverage for children whose parents work at jobs that do not provide employer-paid insurance.

Under the new policy, a state seeking to enroll a child whose family earns more than 250 percent of the poverty level -- or $51,625 for a family of four -- must first ensure that the child is uninsured for at least one year. The state must also demonstrate that at least 95 percent of children from families making less than 200 percent of the poverty level have been enrolled in the children's health insurance program or Medicaid -- a sign-up rate that no state has yet managed.
Doesn't an article like this just warm your heart? The Bush administration only cares about the unborn. Once you are here you are on your own. The SCHIP programs have been very successful in getting uninsured children insured. The provision that you must be uninsured for one year is the most troubling. Children need yearly health exams as do all people. What happens to the children who become sick during that year of uninsurance? How can a family of four earning $52,000 afford private health insurance? The SCHIP programs at least cover the children. If you still think this administation or the Republican party cares at all about the poor or middle class, I have a bridge to sell you in Minneapolis.

2 comments:

Larry said...

As usual, Bush has shown that his brand of "compassionate conservatism" leads to hating Poor Children.

Jeff said...

Its not just poor children it is also middle class children.