What Should We Do About Uninsured Kids?
A letter in the Springfield News-Leader complains about the number of uninsured children in Missouri:
The SCHIP program provided health coverage for 6 million kids in 2006. Under the new bill, an additional 5 million children will be eligible for coverage, for a total of 11 million kids. 121,000 children in Missouri lack health insurance today, ironically in part because Rep. Blunt’s son, Gov. Matt Blunt, has stuck to family tradition and cut 1,903 in Greene County from Medicaid since 2005. A disturbing trend, which begs the question: What does the Blunt family have against children?
It’s a mistake to focus on insurance when what really matters is how many children receive medical care. Some parents who could afford insurance choose to pay for their children’s health care out-of-pocket instead. And for those who can’t afford insurance, there are ways to provide medical services directly, such as public clinics or vouchers for preventative care.
Worrying about providing health insurance for all kids is like worrying about providing car insurance for all kids. Some parents can afford cars and car insurance, and they drive their kids to school. Other kids take the bus.
We want all kids to have health care, but not everyone needs to go through insurance. And we certainly don’t need everyone to go through one government insurance program.
