Health Insurance Politics
November 9, 2007
Health insurance has become the stuff of politics in the US today. Democrats are trying to prove that they are more concerned about kids than their opponents. This approach is getting them nowhere.
This is why they are trying a new approach. They are trying to make a point that the SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program) benefits working people and their employers.
Some families do not qualify for Medicaid because they earn too much and do not get health care from their jobs. This is the niche SCHIP aims to fill.
Republicans and Democrats disagree on who should be eligible for SCHIP. The Republicans want it only for the neediest children while the Democrats want it for the better off as well.
Employers are the other people in this equation. With the increase in health care costs, many employers feel the need to offer health insurance to employees. This makes them indirect beneficiaries of SCHIP. However, many employers do not understand the ramifications of SCHIP - how it affects them. They are probably the ones who will decide where the SCHIP program goes once word gets out to them.
That Health Insurance and Politics has gotten mixed up is the harsh reality of today. Lets hope the outcome is not just votes for political parties but a population better protected from bad health.
