The SCHIP debacle continues in Washington. There have been too many gullible Republicans who went along with this who apparently were frightened to death of the “sound bite” about them hating children.
Children would now be defined as people under age 25. That would happen in all states, and we know that many would continue the perversion of including adults as well. Remember that Wisconsin now spends 75% of its funding on adults, not children!
The income level provisions of this travesty have been increased to 400% of the federal poverty level, up from 200%. That is more than $80,000 for a family of four! Imagine just how many employers will appear on the next BadgerCare “embarrassment list” with that income benchmark in place.
SCHIP would become a permanent entitlement program whereas it has been forced through periodic re-authorization up until now. Imagine how this entitlement will spin out-of-control if the President would sign the bill.
Funding comes from a diverse group:
We all understand that the tax on tobacco products will increase in order to pay for this largesse. That goose will die off quickly enough, so many other sources will ultimately be tapped.
We didn’t know, however, that private insurance policies would be taxed as well. This “fair share” tax would begin at $375 million in year one, but we all know that number will pale in comparison to what we’ll see in five years and beyond. This on top of the "crowding out" of private insurance plans every time a person elects to be part of their state's SCHIP. Seems that "big insurance" was squarely in the cross hairs as the Democrats sought to incrementally increase the numbers of people on "government run health programs".
And, Congress "bravely" takes on the senior lobby by taking money away from the successful Medicare Advantage program that is now used by some 8 million seniors in lieu of regular Medicare plans. The CBO analysis indicates that as many as 3 million of the current users will be forced out of the programs by the funding reductions. These programs were, of course, made possible by insurers coming to the table as the original program intended to secure better levels of coverage and coverage in outlying areas. "Big insurance" was again in the cross hairs without regard to the seniors who were enrolled in this better deal.
The private sector is about to take a big hit from the liberals.
It is imperative that we let President Bush know we want him to hold his position and veto this abomination when it finds its way to his desk. It appears that his veto has a good chance of standing given that the House passed its version by just 225 to 204. Many congressional representatives would have to reverse their positions in order to sustain a veto.
In the meantime, each of us must contact our elected representatives who voted for this travesty to advise that we are disgusted with their work product and to assure them that we’ll remember through multiple election cycles. And, we need to talk with those who voted the right way so they aren't frightened into changing their vote if the President vetoes the bill.
Showing posts with label BadgerCare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BadgerCare. Show all posts
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Enroll in SCHIP and Drop Private Coverage?
The Associated press has just reported on a Congressional Budget Office report that said for every 100 children who enroll in SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program), there is a corresponding reduction in private coverage of between 25 and 50 children.
CBO officials also pointed out that when SCHIP was created, it had been estimated that about 40% of the participants would previously have had private insurance. If those parents were actually at or beneath the federal poverty level, I have no problem with this. Those families could certainly have found an excellent use for the freed money.
If, however, these were children whose parents only became eligible because they lived in a state that raised the income by doubling or tripling the federal poverty level to attract entrants, I don’t think that was ever intended.
Sen. Grassley, R-Iowa was reported to have said, “This report tells us that Congress needs to make sure that whatever it does, it should actually result in more kids having health insurance, rather than simply shifting children from private to public health insurance.”
And, we Wisconsinites have more adults in the SCHIP program than children. If that were the intent, wouldn’t it be better called SAHIP…the State Adult Health Insurance Program?
Yet another perversion of a well-intended program that leads one to ask…”This makes us want government run health care why?”
CBO officials also pointed out that when SCHIP was created, it had been estimated that about 40% of the participants would previously have had private insurance. If those parents were actually at or beneath the federal poverty level, I have no problem with this. Those families could certainly have found an excellent use for the freed money.
If, however, these were children whose parents only became eligible because they lived in a state that raised the income by doubling or tripling the federal poverty level to attract entrants, I don’t think that was ever intended.
Sen. Grassley, R-Iowa was reported to have said, “This report tells us that Congress needs to make sure that whatever it does, it should actually result in more kids having health insurance, rather than simply shifting children from private to public health insurance.”
And, we Wisconsinites have more adults in the SCHIP program than children. If that were the intent, wouldn’t it be better called SAHIP…the State Adult Health Insurance Program?
Yet another perversion of a well-intended program that leads one to ask…”This makes us want government run health care why?”
Friday, April 27, 2007
If There Is Any Doubt About Government-run Healthcare...
We need simply look at the gyrations occurring in Congress as the “great debate” over SCHIP and Medicare Advantage takes place to see exactly where we’ll be if Healthy Wisconsin were to become the law in Badgerland.
SCHIP is being re-engineered to bring in more and more adults and to permit families of four earning over $80,000 per year to join. This is a very obvious expansion of government-run healthcare.
Medicare Advantage funding is being threatened because it represents an incursion of the private sector into the world of government-run healthcare (Medicare) that is a threat to all those whose goal is just that…government-run healthcare.
Doctors in Medicare would be favored by some of money freed up by the reductions in Medicare Advantage while SCHIP would get the rest because there simply isn’t enough money to go around even with huge increases in tobacco taxes. Medicare Advantage could disappear as the direct result of this move. In this instance, oldsters who had selected Medicare Advantage will be forced back into Medicare parts A & B with lesser benefits available to them at higher costs. This subtle form of rationing should give us all pause. Future forms of rationing promise to be far less subtle.
Politicians running healthcare is oxymoronic. They will be unable to resist the temptations of all that power…and you and I will suffer…just as those on Medicare Advantage programs are about to suffer. What will it be next? Will it be mandatory health prevention as suggested by one presidential aspirant? What will happen with all that data that is collected? And then where will it go? Will we ultimately see consciously controlled death rates since death is less expensive than living with and treating a disease? That happens in single payer countries around the world today. What makes us think that it wouldn’t happen here as well?
SCHIP is being re-engineered to bring in more and more adults and to permit families of four earning over $80,000 per year to join. This is a very obvious expansion of government-run healthcare.
Medicare Advantage funding is being threatened because it represents an incursion of the private sector into the world of government-run healthcare (Medicare) that is a threat to all those whose goal is just that…government-run healthcare.
Doctors in Medicare would be favored by some of money freed up by the reductions in Medicare Advantage while SCHIP would get the rest because there simply isn’t enough money to go around even with huge increases in tobacco taxes. Medicare Advantage could disappear as the direct result of this move. In this instance, oldsters who had selected Medicare Advantage will be forced back into Medicare parts A & B with lesser benefits available to them at higher costs. This subtle form of rationing should give us all pause. Future forms of rationing promise to be far less subtle.
Politicians running healthcare is oxymoronic. They will be unable to resist the temptations of all that power…and you and I will suffer…just as those on Medicare Advantage programs are about to suffer. What will it be next? Will it be mandatory health prevention as suggested by one presidential aspirant? What will happen with all that data that is collected? And then where will it go? Will we ultimately see consciously controlled death rates since death is less expensive than living with and treating a disease? That happens in single payer countries around the world today. What makes us think that it wouldn’t happen here as well?
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