The Schip Hits the Fan
Bush has targeted many enemies during his term: Hussein, Al Qaeda, Michael Moore. His newest opponent, however, is an interesting selection: poor children.
Thursday the Senate Finance Committee approved the renewal and expansion of SCHIP, the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Originally instated in 1997, SCHIP was the largest health care expansion since Medicaid in the 60s. The purpose of the program is to aid children in families that are caught in the gap between Medicare/aid and the costs of private insurance. Currently, the program covers 6.9 million children.
SCHIP comes for renewal in September, and the Senate Finance Committee has approved a bill to increase the coverage to an additional 3.2 million children.
"Bill supporters said the measure, approved 17–4, would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover nearly 10 million uninsured children. The reauthorization would cover children in households with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line.
The five-year, $60 billion bill would be funded by a 61-cent-a-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes and increased taxes on other tobacco products. The increase would bring the federal cigarette tax to $1 per pack." CWF
The House version of the bill is even more ambitious, wanting to add 5.1 million children to the current coverage, planning to pay for the increase in costs by reducing subsidies to Medicare Advantage.
The Senate bill has garnered bipartisan support, yet the White House has voiced that the veto pen is ready. The Senate bill would increase spending an additional $35 billion over the next five years, while the House bill will cost an additional $50 billion. Bush has declared he only approves an increase of $5 billion, and that he would consider a higher figure but does not support the expansion of the program to new participants.
"...President Bush says that access to care is no problem — “After all, you just go to an emergency room” — and, with the support of the Republican Congressional leadership, he’s declared that he’ll veto any Schip expansion on “philosophical” grounds." NYT
Paul Krugman argues Bush is afraid the program would show the American public the government is, indeed, capable of providing good healthcare.
It is an interesting fight for Bush to pick given the enormous support for the program. Krugman cited a recent poll by Georgetown University that "9 in 10 Americans — including 83 percent of self-identified Republicans — support an expansion of the children’s health insurance program."
In the Washington Post David Brooks made his prediction:
"What will probably happen is that Congress will pass a bill that will draw a veto -- and then the serious bargaining will begin. The current authorization expires Sept. 30, and no one wants to see the program end.
But if and when a compromise is reached, the larger issues of health care will remain. And that is why it is important that the presidential candidates in both parties take advantage of the opportunity being offered by a series of health-care forums this fall."
SCHIP is just one program in the debate over healthcare, but it is making a lot of noise and pitting Bush against massive public support (not that he ever cares). The benefit of the battle is increased exposure to the problems of the healthcare system. Hopefully, with more serious discussions of policy the healthcare system will get a much needed reworking.
Thankfully, some serious discussions are already being planned. The Federation of American Hospitals and Families USA are planning a forum to analyze the healthcare plans of presidential candidates. Each hour interview will put one presidential candidate before a four person panel to discuss their health care plans. The panel is a serious collection, with Laurie McGinley of the Wall Street Journal, Susan Dentzer of PBS's "NewsHour," Timothy Johnson of ABC News and Julie Rovner of National Public Radio. Current commitments include Hillary Clinton on Sept. 19 and John Edwards on the 24. Hopefully we will be enlightened with plans that reach beyond, "After all, you just go to an emergency room."
