100,000 kids lose health coverage (Texas)

[Judi Lynn]

100,000 kids lose health coverage
Sharp drop in program for poor stirs debate as more limits set to start


10:13 PM CST on Tuesday, January 13, 2004

By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News


AUSTIN – A popular government health insurance program has shed nearly 100,000 low-income children since state lawmakers approved budget cuts in May, and its rolls are shrinking faster than some advocates of the poor had expected.

Sharply declining enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program has sparked debate about whether the stricter rules passed by the Legislature went too far and could end up sending more uninsured children to hospital emergency rooms for care.

An additional restriction, a limit on some families' assets, is scheduled to take effect next month. State officials will begin denying coverage to families if they have cash, bank balances or securities exceeding $5,000 or own cars exceeding certain values.
(snip)

By Sept. 1, 2005, the state expects a decline of more than 169,000 children – or one-third of the number enrolled last summer.
(snip/...)

http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/011404dntexchip.ea2c.html
(On edit: This is probably a free registration site)

[SoCalDem]

1. Poor people don't deserve healthcare..

It's their own damn fault for not being born into a rich family.. If their parents worked harder, they would have all the healthcare they could use.. Healthcare is wasted on poor people anyway.. They are lazy, and do not deserve to live.. It's more fiscally responsible to let them get sick and die.. Then they will not grow up and collect welfare.. Everybody knows that..

[progressivebydesign]

18. That's outrageous! Bush needs to return to Crawford to watch Armadillos!

This is the stuff that voters just seem to ignore... How could Bush and the other GOP rulers be in power?

p.s. LOVE your cat photo!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Now this is interesting

Is Texas showing us what Bush wants to do with the entire country? I'm thinking so, since his Rethug buddies are in charge there. Sounds to me like compassionate conservatives are only compassionate for upper class rich folks.

Compare this to a fellow who made sure nearly ALL kids in his state were covered by health coverage....

[lastliberalintexas]

19. YES!

From budgeting to healthcare to education to even further deregulation of corporate interests. People should be really afraid, if they weren't already.

Never let it be said that we Texans didn't try to warn the world in 2000. We *told* people this was coming, we *knew* what an ass this man was, yet we were ignored. (not by fellow liberals, but by the middle of the road, swing voter types who thought it's be more fun to have a beer with him than with Gore)

[DS1]

3. It's the logging approach to healthcare

You can't leave any kids behind if there aren't any left.

[Gysgt213]

4. Texas is just responding to the lastest round of federal tax cuts

If a state get's less money from the federal government to help pay for these type of programs they have no choice but to either rasie taxes or cut services. Texas dosen't have a state income tax to boot they have a sales tax. Unless it citizens have a lot of money to spend on goods and services and the federal government sends back a good portion of their share the money isn't going to be there to pay for anything.

[SoCalDem]

5. That is accurate.....but

the trouble we are in financially, was done ON PURPOSE.. It's no different from the louse spouse who cashes his/her check and blows it all ono a fancy party for the drinking buddies, and then announces that there is no money for the rent/food/medicine..

Should it be the helpless, blameless of the family who suffers??

The rich folks in Texas seem to be doing just fine, and when there are shortfalls like this because of the blundering of that same class of people, I would rather see a temporary "luxury tax" be attached to fancy stuff.. If you can afford to spend $500 for a shirt at Neiman-Marcus, or $100,000 for a Hummer, then you can damn well pony up a bit extra until the state coffers are again serving ALL their citizens..

"Balancing" the budget on the backs of the poorest and most helpless, is not a very "Christian" thing to do..

[Gysgt213]

8. True, but do you know of any state that is going to go after the

rich when they (the rich) can get an audience with any politician they want to and prevent something like that from ever seeing the light of day when there are plenty of voiceless and outsight poor kids and adults to balance the state budget on?

[Snappy]

6. Dubya /Health Care

Q: Would you be open to the ideal of a national health care plan?BUSH: I’m absolutely opposed to a national health care plan. I don’t want the federal government making decisions for consumers or for providers. I remember what the administration tried to do in 1993. They tried to have a national health care plan, and fortunately it failed. I trust people; I don’t trust the federal government. I don’t want the federal government making decisions on behalf of everybody.


http://a.tribalfusion.com/p.media/PLBQJGUJSLMGKNNRTWNETUNLCNKIHYVKMOFDPLGLRMFPDCABRTWEQUROLQTHEMPFSCGLKEOQSQGB/126696/pop.html

*GW Bush the compasionate conservative.

[ClintonTyree]

7. The Healthy Children Initiative..................

This is happening all over the country. Kaleeeefonia, Florida, Texas and they're all controlled by..................Republicans! Surprise, surprise! Compassionate conservatism at it's finest. Yeah, "Clear Skies", "Healthy Forests", "Healthy Children". The names of these programs belie their intentions.

[0007]

9. Another fine example of a broken promise by the cabal crooks

[snippy]

10. And republicans rejoice.

[amber dog democrat]

11. The poor don't matter

until the days of "let them eat cake" loom into view.
Its a lesson we are going to have to rediscover. The whole system is compromised.
There is no conscience regarding the welfare of society as a whole.
Neocon thinking would go along the lines of "it is not responsible to help others".
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for yourself.

I wonder just how bad its going to get. This is just the beginning.

[tabasco]

14. I am in complete agreement.

We are on the same wavelength.

"There is no conscience regarding the welfare of society as a whole."

Well said. I am shocked at the power of greed, and the lack of concern for our fellow citizens. I am afraid our society will not change easily. There is a great lack of a sense of civic responsibility among all Americans, including many Democrats.

[tom_paine]

17. Yes, these are The Good Old Days

Undoubtedly. When the wretched fragments of the Old and Dead American Republic served to blind people as to what Imperial Amerika was transitioning towards.

We've got it good...very good, compared to what's coming.

In the immortal words of Hunter S. Thompson "The hogs are in the tunnel, and must be fed."

Unfortunately what is going to be fed to the hogs, what has already been fed to them are the wealth and principles of the Old American REpublic.

We have to be kidding ourselves if we think they will be appeased for very long after this rich and creamy meal. It will only whet their appetites and confirm the low opinion they have of the Imperial Subjects of Amerika. It will only emnbolden them to lie and steal even more shamelessly.

No, I think it is almost certain.

These are the Good Old Days.

[The Zanti Regent]

12. But Jesus told the Republicans to do this!

If kids die, well, that's God's Will, isn't it?

(SARCASM MODE ON...)

[bif]

13. the poor don't vote, so screw 'em!

n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. "Are there no workhouses?"

"Are there no prisons?"
-Ebeneezer Bush

[tom_paine]

16. "Then let them die...and decrease the surplus population."

Our constant viewing and re-viweing of "A Christmas carol" during the hoidays is increasingly ludicrous as Imperial Amerika every day more and more supports the values of Scrooge through the "Triumph of the Will" of our boy-Emperor.

It is shriekingly laughable, but then, so much of Imperial Amerika is as Orwewll's book "1984" predicted such a place would be.

Luckily, it is still early in the transition, and Orwell's ultimate vision has yet to be achieved.

I wouldn't want to live in Imperial Amerika 2100, which will probably look quite a bit more like "1984's" day-to-day existance.