Being Childish

Senate Democratic leaders recently unveiled plans to dramatically expand taxpayer-funded health insurance through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) -- even as 14 states are running out of money to fund coverage in the program

Running out of money! Wonder why?

One reason SCHIP is in trouble is because it has allowed states to provide taxpayer-subsidized health care for adults and middle-income families, even when poor children go without coverage. For instance:

In 2005, 87 percent of Minnesota's SCHIP enrollees were adults, as were 66 percent of those enrolled in Wisconsin's program.
In Arizona -- which has one of the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation -- 56 percent of those enrolled in SCHIP were adults.

Oh, that reason. Is there more?

In addition, SCHIP funds are often used to insure children who are not in low-income families, says Turner:

In New Jersey, for example, Schip covers children whose parents earn up to three-and-a-half times the poverty line -- an amount that exceeds $72,000 a year.
Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. John Dingell recently announced their own bill that would subsidize coverage for kids in families earning up to four times the poverty level -- or nearly $83,000 for a family of four.

I can't imagine such waste. After all, they are only spending the GOVERNMENT'S MONEY.

Right . . .