8 States Plan to Press Bush on Health Bill

In a recent article by New York Times it was stated by Governor Eliot Spitzer that “New York, joined by six other states, would file suit against the Bush administration, challenging stricter eligibility rules for the government health insurance program that covers poor children.” A bipartisan bill would allow coverage up to 10 million children from the 6.6 million covered now. There is a debate on how much the federal government should actually give to the cause. However, “the eight states contend that the new eligibility rules, which went into effect August and limit coverage to children living at or below 250 percent of the poverty line, will either force out children in the program or leave tens of thousands without coverage who would be eligible.
Three weeks ago the federal health officials denied a request by New York to insure more children by incomes; for example, $82,600 for a family of four. Governor Spitzer said, “Despite every effort to negotiate in good faith, the Bush administration did nothing but put roadblocks and poison pills in our path.” He also stated, “The president was out of touch with the reality on the ground.” New Jersey, has already estimated that 10,000 children will lose health insurance under this new policy.

My analysis of this article is that it is sad that underprivileged children don’t have the health insurance that a normal child would have. What really makes me think about this issue world wide is, if it is this bad in America it must be severely worse in other third world countries. I don’t think it is fair for 10,000 children to lose health insurance under this new policy if it is passed. Another thing I find disturbing is that the Bush administration didn’t do anything to help the situation but only made the problem more difficult to obtain. I think that the Bush administration should take into consideration that tons of children that are suffering because of not having health insurance. WE should be the role models for the other countries and once we get the ball rolling with this issue, we should help the other nations to get health insurance for children under poverty.











http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/washington/02schip.html?_r=1&oref=slogin