Let's Get Our National Priorities Straight

Yesterday, the House of Representatives sustained President Bush's veto of S-CHIP, a national program which extends health insurance coverage to families that otherwise cannot afford it. The bill would have provided coverage for nearly 4 million uninsured children, with continuing coverage for another 6.6 million children.

President Bush used his waning influence to convince Representatives that this version of the S-CHIP bill would extend coverage to families that could otherwise afford it. The argument went that middle and upper class children (as well as illegal immigrants) could receive insurance under this bill.

In 2006, 47 million Americans were uninsured, an increase from 44.8 million in 2005. In 2006, the number of uninsured children rose from 8.0 to 8.7 million. Employment-based health insurance decreased to 59.7 percent in 2006 from 60.2 percent in 2005. (US Census Bureau)

Who is really covered by S-CHIP? The vast majority of children covered by S-CHIP live in households earning less that 150% of the Federal Poverty Level ($20,650 for a family of 4). (PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 6 December 2003, pp. e499-e507)

Uninsured children are less likely to utilize preventive services, less likely to seek acute care when needed and often end up in the emergency department for management of illness that could have been provided by a regular outpatient provider.

Let us hope that Speaker Pelosi can keep her promise to "send the president another bill that provides health care to 10 million children."