The folks at The Slatest provide this Christmas cheer.
Two-thirds of uninsured American children are eligible for government health insurance, but many families don't know about the program. The Obama administration is moving to expand coverage by offering states $206 billion in Medicaid bonus payments for signing up previously uninsured kids, reports the New York Times.
This begs the question, why don't they, or more specifically, their parents, know about Medicaid for their children? Why would someone refuse free health insurance unless the government failed to properly inform and promote this to potential recipients?
The funds will be distributed to 15 states, with Alabama receiving more than a quarter of the bonus money.
So Alabama wins the lottery, along with only 14 other states. And what about the other 42 states?
I suppose they snoozed so they losed. (Grammatically incorrect but it rhymed so poetic license used).
HHS wants to make a dent in the estimated 4.7 million uninsured children that qualify for Medicaid but are not participating. They will hope to accomplish this by spending $206 billion of taxpayer money to promote a "free" program.
If you can't encourage parents to sign up for a free health insurance plan, then how much more effective will it be when the government requires everyone to have health insurance they have to pay for out of their own pocket?
And about that bonus . . .
It is a reward for doing what the states were supposed to be doing any way, which is signing up children for Medicaid.
This is like saying we are going to pay you for doing your job, and then pay you again for doing it.
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