S Chip and Politics?

Question

OK, I know it is not popular to be against health care for children but I want to ask a few questions here. How many think the democratic congress is trying to whittle away at the number of uninsured to reduce the overall cost of a comprehensive health care plan. That is to say, if I can get $35B for S Chip, that is $35 B less that the Hillary plan will cost in the future. The more Dems can put insurance costs for middle class people into other programs, the more likely the american public will accept a comprehensive insurance program.

I am all for funding health benefits for those who cannot afford it. This program being pushed by the Democrats now will pay for health insurance for families making up to $80,000 per year. Isn't that really just taking the burden off of business and putting it on the taxpayer in the long run? What employer is going to offer health insurance if the govt is going to do it?

Answer 1

Talking point lies.

The program is set up so that the States decide eligibility within a set of parameters set forth by the program.
The Program gives the states the latitude to go up to 300% the poverty level (currenty set a 200%). The $80,000 figure is where this comes from. But the states get less medicaid money if they go that high on their eligiblilty. The goal of the program is to insure the uninsured, and it is even set up so that rather than providing insurance the states can choose to pay or supplement private insurance. The insurance industry has endorsed the program.

The bottom line, the funding is a set amount (paid for by tobacco taxes, not income taxes). States can choose to grant eligbility eligibilty to children with families making up to 80,000 but do not get any more money (in fact may get less) if they do. So the $80,000 bench mark is there to accomodate the rare and special circumstances of families with income but no access to insurance. No one connected to the program (including the insurance industry) see the potential for the government purloining private insurance holders with this program. In fact, it likely will create more of holders of private insurance (just paid for or supplemented with government funds)

Answer 2

This isn't going to answer the question, but it will highlight why a person running for President will offer such a plan as the media that wants to put a democrat in the White House will focus on the headline feature, not the realities of such a plan.
Media gets most of it's funding from left sympathizers as selling news has always been a focus of the left. News that doesn't "fit' gets excluded, hence exploited by the other side.
IE, as long as CNN, NBC, CBS & ABC exist, so will FOX.
Meanwhile, your question. No child that shows up in an ER today will be turned away that is sick.
Now go rent 'As good as it gets" and see the difference between getting medical attention and getting more expensive but problem solving solutions. Yes,it's as hollywood as Helen Hunt's very qualified description of HMO's. But in reality, we have medical for us and medical for people who pay for the best care. Is there a difference? A Honda will get you to the same place that a Lexus does. A Greyhound will get you to the same place that American Airlines can.

Answer 3

I would disagree. The $80k figure isn't really all that accurate (or at least it would be difficult to qualify with an $80k salary and jumping through a lot of hoops). That figure is an exceptional case, if one were to get coverage through SCHIP with an income of $80k and is an anomaly. It's not what this SCHIP expansion plan is going to be typically covering. You throw that figure out there without any qualifiers. It's like talking about one man who is a multimillionaire who is out there collecting unemployment checks and wanting to eliminate unemployment coverage because it's there giving money to "undeserving people". The main thing is that health care costs have been on the rise and people who are above the poverty line are still finding it impossible to afford health care and the children of these families, since they are making too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford their own, are threatened by not being covered at all.

Answer 4

"How many think the democratic congress is trying to whittle away at the number of uninsured to reduce the overall cost of a comprehensive health care plan."

Not only do I disagree with this idea, I think it is ridiculous. It doesn't sound like you watched the Congressional debates about S Chip or any other heathcare debates.