President Bush is continuing to resist an expanded government health insurance program that will cover more uninsured children. His concerns are somewhat understandable, but his view is short-sighted.
Congressional lawmakers are trying to hash out a compromise that’s acceptable to both Democrats and Republicans before the health care program expires Sept. 30. Bush and lawmakers ought to work together to find a reasonable solution.
The current State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, will expire in a little more than a week without reauthorization. The 10-year-old federal- state program provides insurance for uninsured needy children. Lawmakers in both parties want to expand coverage to more children by increasing the income level at which a child would be eligible. The current plan is limited to children whose families earn up to twice the federal poverty level — or about $41,300 a year for a family of four. That cap is so unreasonably low that several states have received permission to raise it.
Some states want to raise it to levels that Bush finds unacceptable. He’s worried raising it is a step toward universal health coverage. If the income level is raised, he reasons, families will drop their private coverage in favor of the cheaper, taxpayer-funded program.
He issued new rules capping income eligibility at 250 percent of poverty, or $51,625 for a family of four. Any child above the limit would have to be uninsured for at least a year before qualifying.
Leaving children uninsured is unacceptable.
The income-eligibility level needs to be raised, and Congress and the president need to reach a compromise. With health care costs skyrocketing, and so many working families teetering on the edge financially, expanding coverage only makes sense.
One only has to look at an emergency room waiting area to understand one reason why health premiums are soaring. It’s often filled with uninsured children with earaches, sore throats and other non- emergency problems better dealt with in a doctor’s office. ERs don’t turn away patients, but the care is pricier and passed along to people with private insurance.
Congressional leaders are grappling with finding a compromise on two vastly different versions of the bill before sending something to the president. We hope lawmakers and Bush can create an acceptable plan to insure more children.
