Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Re: 'Our congressman has lost the American Dream'

Last week Joe Howard Crews wrote that Issa’s priorities with reference to children’s healthcare insurance are wrong, followed by the obligatory Bush bashing. A few facts about the existing health plan for children:

Eligibility varies from state to state but currently the typical enrollee is from a family earning 100 to 200 percent of the poverty level. Those at or below poverty level qualify for Medicaid.

Despite disseminating information via health fairs, PSAs and flyers, 30 percent of those eligible have not enrolled and thus have no health coverage. (Urban Institute and GAO) Eligibility is determined by the states and some are overly generous.

Some anecdotal info:

1. Some have not enrolled because of a fear of stigmatization.

2. Because they are eligible, 14 percent dropped their private insurance and signed with the government. This figure would soar under proposed legislation.

3. Proposed legislation makes it possible in some cases for someone 25 years old to qualify.

4. Virtually all money raised by proposed legislation would be used finding and enrolling those currently eligible.

Enacting proposed legislation will saddle taxpayers with a huge entitlement burden. Clinton’s plan to nationalize healthcare similar to that of Canada would be an absolute disaster.

An average of 17 weeks is required to see a specialist in Canada. Many Canadians who can afford it come to the US for care.

There are more MRI machines in Philadelphia than in all of Canada. England’s story is similar and Michael Moore’s Cuban paradigm is ludicrous.

By the way, though she will never get my vote, I concede Hillary Clinton is smart and capable but wrong about the healthcare issue.

Let’s try for fuller participation in the current plan before passing more legislation, and by the way, Joe, how about coming up with a construct for a better health plan instead of incessantly complaining?

Warren Barnes

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/28/2024 11:59