****BUSH 3 ALERT**** (Quarter million more children covered under CHIP reauthorization)

[alcibiades_mystery]

Despite budgets ravaged by the recession, at least 13 states have invested millions of dollars this year to cover 250,000 more children with subsidized government health insurance.

The expansions have come in the five months since Congress and President Obama used the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program to vastly increase its funding and encourage states to increase enrollment. Although the federal government covers the vast majority of the cost, states set their own eligibility levels and must decide whether to spend state money in order to draw even more from Washington.

In addition to increasing income eligibility levels, three states are dropping requirements that legal immigrants wait five years before joining the program, a step newly permitted by the federal legislation. Others have extended coverage to pregnant women or streamlined enrollment and eligibility procedures.

The states’ willingness to spend, even under excruciating budget pressures, is a measure of the support for expanding health care coverage to the uninsured as Congress and the administration intensify their negotiations over a new federal health care bill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/us/19chip.html?_r=1&hp

------SNIP-----

A little something for everybody yelling "Bush 3." Policy fucking counts. In people's lives, not in Message Board Argument World.

[grantcart]

1. And it is only a mystery to the aggressively obtuse

[countingbluecars]

2. K&R! n/t

[rufus dog]

3. K&R

[chieftain]

4. Good for you posting this. K & R n/t

[firedupdem]

5. Rec'd..thanks for posting this. n/t

[TheWraith]

6. Kicked and recommended. nt

[mopinko]

knr

surprise, surprise. investing in the future. yeah, just like bush.

[mopinko]

7. knr

surprise, surprise. investing in the future. yeah, just like bush.

[stevenleser]

8. K&R, take that those of you whose kneejerk reaction to everything is to attack Obama

:think:

[tosh]

9. K&R...and thanks!

[Arkana]

10. This is good news.

Now let's bear down on healthcare reform, dammit.

[mullard12ax7]

11. Texas Gov. Perry just appointed a christian fundamentalist to head education

and Texas has already cleaned out its SCHIP companies. America fucking counts, not just in 13 states and making a flawed point in Message Board Propaganda World. Here's a point: if states are allowed to choose whether their populations get healthcare or not, how many states populations will actually end up with healthcare? Answer: less than 1/2.

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. The people of Texas keep electing these folks

Maybe they should stop.

:shrug:

[Blue_Roses]

18. we are trying...

and we saw great strides in progressive votes during 2008, but this state still remains deeply red unfortunately. It's mainly because of two things: rwing fundamentalists and $$$$$

[JNelson6563]

16. Texas.

That state cracks me up. Texans act like it is the greatest state ever and yet the politicians that get elected there are such uber assholes it is a thing to marvel at.

Julie

[texastoast]

24. It was wonderful

And it used to be very blue. And we are on the way back to becoming blue. Lots of us are working very hard. It is amazing how many residents were not born here. That, I hypothesize, is in direct correlation to the journey toward red. And they just keep coming.

It hasn't been so long ago that Texas was the richest of the rich. Politicians of every ilk come running when that is the case.

[JNelson6563]

25. Most commendable.

I have nothing but admiration for the foot soldliers in the trenches of the red states. Much encouragemenet to you friend. :toast:

Julie--former foot soldier of the blood red swath of Michigan

[scheming daemons]

12. But what about MY pet issue?

:sarcasm:

He hasnt changed the college football playoff system yet... the guy is a fraud

[JNelson6563]

14. Hooray for progress!

And thanks for posting this. :toast:

Julie

[DeeDeeNY]

15. Message Board Argument World

I like this phrase.

[yellerpup]

17. K&R!

Always good news when people are helped.

[dorkulon]

19. I doubt anyone here would argue that Obama isn't at least marginally better.

The argument is over how marginal and whether that's nearly enough.

[Schema Thing]

22. One would have to be a fucking moron to equate the difference between

bush and Obama as "marginal".

[Richd506]

20. K & R!

[felinetta]

21. Helping children, with no thanks to Mitch McConnell and the rest of the thugs.

Great news!

[JDPriestly]

23. Thanks for posting the good news.