Patient Power

Nanny state expansion passes in House

The U.S. House voted to pass a bill to expand eligibility for the State Health Insurance Program.   Having government tax citizens to provide health insurance for kids is great way to build allegiance to the state, and hence an electorate who will demand yet more government programs that empower politicians to be parents to citizens.

The eligibility criteria would also become very “liberal”:  Reports Galen.org:

In addition, generous “income disregards” will be allowed, which means that a family can subtract things such as rent or mortgage payments, heating, or food costs from its income in calculating eligibility. That means that children in families making well over $100,000 a year will be eligible for SCHIP.

According to the Census Bureau, “consumer units” (which I assume is a household) making more than $70,000 per year spend more than $800 on alcohol, $3,000 on clothes, $4300 on entertainment, and almost $1500 on telephone services. (source, more here.)

SCHIP is wrong for several reasons.  It’s wrong to force people do donate to charity, which is what taxes for the program do.  SCHIP has many problems of its own, like being wasteful, keeping recipients poor and dependent on government, encouraging them to drop private insurance, and increasing the cost of pharmaceuticals.

• SCHIP director: SCHIP lacks “actual evidence of the benefits for children”
• How many parents will drop insurance in response to SB 08-160?
• GOP’s Mike Coffman supports welfare state
• Hawaii ends “Keiki Care” (You know, for kids!)
• Government insurance expansion wastes taxpayer dollars