Culver: Federal health system critical (IA Gov & Dems have done much to insure children)

[lindisfarne]

(Culver made a campaign promise to insure all of Iowa's children.)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090714/NEWS/90714016

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and other health advocates today pushed the idea of a federal health care plan, saying it would maintain improvements made in the state's health care system.
...
Sen. Jack Hatch, a Democrat from Des Moines who attended the press conference, also emphasized the critical importance of the national legislative reforms. He later told reporters that "there's no real possible reform without a public health option."

“We will not be able to sustain health care anywhere in this country without a national health policy,” Hatch said. “So the debate in Washington right now is so critical to the abilities of the states to incrementally reform health care at our level.”
...
Iowa lawmakers this year approved $5.7 million to give an additional 12,380 children access to health care programs. They have also pledged support for covering more next year. The goal is to cover 90 percent of eligible children by the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2010.

The Iowa Department of Human Services estimates that about 27,000 children in Iowa are currently uninsured but many are eligible in programs such as HAWK-I. Legislation passed this year, Senate File 389, expands coverage of such programs. A family of three, for example, can make up to $52,800 and still qualify. In previous years the guidelines were much lower.

Iowa already ranks near the top of state’s that cover the greatest percentage of children in health care programs. For example, the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation based in New York that advocates for health coverage, last year ranked Iowa the top state in the nation for health care coverage for children.

A lack of health care has long been a leading reason for families filing bankruptcy. And, authors of the Commonwealth Fund have said that children who are covered are more likely to avoid developmental delays.
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Providing health insurance to all Iowa children was one of Culver’s campaign promises. He outlined

[murielm99]

1. Once again, my neighbors to the west are leaders.

Iowa does so many things right. And yet the stereotypes about backward Midwestern corn-fed bumpkins persist.

Go Iowa!