Healthcare

"Over half the families in America are not poor"

The State Children's Health Insurance Plan, SCHIP, was given birth by Congress in 1997 and signed into law by Bill Clinton. It has quickly become one of the "sacred cows" of Congress that not only needs to be maintained, but gorged regularly to expanded proportions. After all, it is for the children.

President Bush vetoed the first attempt at the required reauthorization of the program that passed Congress in a heavily partisan vote. For that he was roundly criticized by the Democrats and much of the MSM (main stream media) as a heartless child hater and worse. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have vowed to keep bringing back the same basic bill over and over right up to the election next year believing it is a sympathetic winner for the Democrats and a pox on the Republicans.

They might be too clever by at least half as more of the truth of their plot is understood by the voters. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) was the most honest when he admitted, "I think the Children's Health Insurance Program is another step to move toward universal coverage," which is precisely what the Democrats want, of course, and if they have to demagogue about "the children" they are shameless enough to do it.

SCHIP was initiated to provide necessary coverage for children in low income families below 200% of poverty. Such families made enough to be ineligible for Medicaid, but were still too poor to afford health care insurance for their family. It was a medical welfare program for poor children.

In case you are confronted by someone asking how Bush and the Republicans could possibly deny health care for children, you may be interested in the following facts. Granted these are provided by the White House, but the accuracy does not seem to be in question.

• Congress' SCHIP bill would strongly encourage States to provide government health coverage for children in families making 300% of the Federal poverty level.
• 300% of the Federal poverty level is nearly $62,000 per year for a family of four.
• The median household income for all households with children under 18 is $58,865.
• 57% of all children are in families that are at or below 300% of the poverty level.
• 53% of families with children are at or below 300% of the poverty level.
• SCHIP was created to help lower-income children who do not qualify for Medicaid (children in families at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level).