[brian]

WASHINGTON - Many children who attempt to enroll in a popular children's health insurance program will have to be uninsured for at least a year before they'll be allowed to participate, the Bush administration has informed state health officials.

The administration has repeatedly voiced concerns that some states were expanding their Children's Health Insurance Programs to the point that families were dropping private coverage for public coverage. Its latest directive is designed to prevent such crowding out from occurring.

In a letter to state health officials, Dennis Smith, the administration's point man for the SCHIP program, laid out certain criteria that states much meet before they expand insurance coverage to those families above 250 percent of the poverty level — or $42,900 for a family of three.

For example, states must establish that a child has been without insurance for a minimum of one year before the child can get coverage through SCHIP. States will also have to assure the federal government that at least 95 percent of the children eligible for the program or for Medicaid are enrolled in either of those two programs.

Full Story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/..._s_insurance_2

[HM2Viking]

really really bad policy

[momababyrn]

What a dumb policy!
So kids will get even sicker because they have no insurance for a year and when they are eligible it will cost even more because they didn't get care sooner? I really wonder about the thought process here.

[HM2Viking]

[HM2Viking]

Originally Posted by momababyrn

What a dumb policy!
So kids will get even sicker because they have no insurance for a year and when they are eligible it will cost even more because they didn't get care sooner? I really wonder about the thought process here.

[kstec]

I think it's a dumb idea, but now families are dropping their own employer insurance to get public insurance to save a buck. If you have and can get insurance you shouldn't even be eligible for public insurance. By doing this the states are going to go even more in debt paying for insurance for people who could get it through work. These programs are meant for the low income with children, not just people who don't want to pay for insurance. I bet if I wanted I could drop my private insurance and get public insurance for cheaper but why. I have access to insurance and I would rather have the less fortunate have it rather than me and my family. Sometimes you do have to pay for things, and sometimes you just can't and that I understand. No matter what a child should have access to healthcare.

[awsmom8]

KSTEC--after my husband died I could not afford the $840 a month for health insurance for the kids and I--and that was thru my employer. They offered health insurance but I had to pay the entire premeium and I was taking home $2300 a mth...wasn't a problem when we had 2 incomes...I tried several mths to pay it and ended up with mounting credit card debit to make ends meet. My solution--enroll the kids in the state program for low income and no health insurance for me...scary.....

[sharona97]

Again: Awareness needs to go even higher for prevention,protection etc. not only for the children but for the healthcare worker who may be affected by such nonsense. I do agree some folks will try to abuse the system, but my faith tells me that the program is there to really help those that need it.