Here are the headlines, then we will show you the actuality.
NYT "White House Acts to Limit Health Plan for Children"
Wapo "New Bush Policies Limit Reach of Child Insurance Plan "
QandO explains it for the simpleminded:
This is simply an underhanded attempt to incrementally expand government welfare to a new level - an important step down the road to single-payer, government run health insurance.
Of course it is being characterized as an attempt to deny poor children "free" health care. It's not. It specifically denies the attempt, by some states, to raise the bar for acceptance to 400% over the poverty rate which means the inclusion of some households making $80,000 a year and "children" up to the age of 25.
The poverty level for a family of four is $20,650 in annual income. New York now covers children in families with income up to 250 percent of the poverty level. The State Legislature has passed a bill that would raise the limit to 400 percent of the poverty level — $82,600 for a family of four — but the change is subject to federal approval.
California wants to increase its income limit to 300 percent of the poverty level, from 250 percent. Pennsylvania recently raised its limit to 300 percent, from 200 percent. New Jersey has had a limit of 350 percent for more than five years.
Government funded healthcare is meant to be for families and children that cannot afford private healthcare, not for a "free ride".
At the bottom of the first page of the NYT piece it states clearly:
When Congress created the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997, it said the purpose was to cover “uninsured low-income children.” Under the law, states are supposed to make sure public coverage “does not substitute for coverage under group health plans;” but the law did not specify what states must do.
In an interview today, Mr. Smith said: “The program was always meant for children in lower-income families. As states move higher up the income scale, it’s more likely to substitute for private coverage.”
Once again the far left liberal blogs in their incessant desire to attack Bush is ignoring the obvious: Welfare and state payed health insurance is supposed to cover those that cannot afford to cover themselves, not to give higher income families free insurance.
If you can afford private insurance, then you should allow the welfare system to help those that really need it...those with low incomes.
More from Sister Toldjah.
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