Budget Pressures Threaten Gains in Health Insurance for Poor, Children

[cal04]

State budget pressures threaten to undo gains in health insurance coverage for children and the poor, according to two surveys released Monday.

Every state was planning some measures to control costs in the Medicaid program in 2005, including restricting eligibility and reducing benefits, the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation said in its study of the government health care program for the poor. Thirty-nine state Medicaid directors said they expect pressure on their programs to grow next year.

A second survey released by Kaiser found that nearly half the states took action between April 2003 and July 2004 to make it more difficult to enroll or remain in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which focuses on children of the working poor.


While the number of uninsured Americans increased by 5 million over the past four years, fewer children were without health insurance. Children make up nearly half of the 52 million people receiving Medicaid and another 4 million kids are covered through SCHIP.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBUG7TCXZD.html

[Erika]

1. Bush's Reply: Money For Bombs is far more important

than our kids needs. Just ask him.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. kick

[gatlingforme]

3. That is sad -- I have one more reason to hate Bush.