Rob Schofield over at Policy Watch writes about the SCHIP expansion being debated in DC. Just like every social ill (real or imagined), he thinks that the solution lies in bigger government (I know, I know – big surprise).
One thing I did find curious, was part of his description of SCHIP as a "successful" program:
SCHIP is one of the most successful government human services programs in recent American history. Since it was initiated in 1997, the number of uninsured poor children has actually declined by a third, even as the number of uninsured American children overall has risen.
I’ll wait a minute for it to sink in….
That’s right, a program designed to lower the number of uninsured children is deemed a success in Schofield’s eyes, even though "the number of uninsured American children overall has risen."
I simply can not make this stuff up.
Rob Schofield says
Brian, my friend, the point is not that complicated to understand. CHIP has helped reduce the number of poor kids without health insurance. This is a good thing. It has produced demonstrably beneficial results for millions of kids. Hence the wide, bi-partisan support for the program from across the political spectrum.
What I was pointing out in the section you highlighted is that this has occurred during an era in which the number of uninsured overall has risen — principally as the result of the failure of employers (understandable given the soaring costs of private insurance) to provide insurance to their lower and middle income employees and their families.
In short, CHIP has proven that it’s possible to cover the most vulnerable at a comparatively modest cost — even at a very tough and expensive time in the health insurance world. It is a common sense model on which we ought to build. Most of the country understands this and hopefully the president will figure this out before too long.
Brian Balfour says
Rob – thanks for reading and commenting at our blog.
Your comment reveals the point us “free-market fundamentalists” have been trying to make all along. When you expand government’s role in the health insurance industry, it makes premiums rise. Hence the “very tough and expensive time in the health insurance world.” I still find it curious you would dub this program a success as the overall number of insured children has declined. I suppose if you are just focused on the “poor kids” and ignore the unintended consequences of pricing other people out of the insurance market, then fine. But just realize that this program and others like it are the primary culprit in skyrocketing health insurance costs (not to mention the draconian regulations).
Max Borders says
I don’t think people on the left understand the devastating affects Medicaid has on either affordability, or wage traps. They want to increase mandates and remove children from the risk pool, then complain about affordability. When it becomes less affordable? Expand SCHIP and increase the death spiral. Brilliant central planning to kill the market.
Max Borders says
Oops: effects