Editorial: Funding bill for CHIP a worthy compromise
March 13, 2007
The House Human Services Committee sent a strong, important message last week when it voted 8-1 to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Written by the Editorial Board, San Antonio Express-News
The House Human Services Committee sent a strong, important message last week when it voted 8-1 to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Texas Senate should follow suit. The compromise bill has three important components. First, it permits coverage for a year, rather than six months, decreasing the frequency with which parents have to re-enroll their children. Second, it eliminates a 90-day waiting period for uninsured children, and, third, it relaxes income eligibility requirements. Some critics of the bill contend that 12-month coverage could lead to families taking advantage of the program if their income changes dramatically during that period. That argument is flimsy. When CHIP was first instituted, parents were allowed to enroll their children once a year. Dramatic cuts to the program in 2003 changed the enrollment period to every six months. The state is asking people to prove — constantly — that they're too poor to afford insurance. Children need consistent coverage to get the care they need. If they are insured one day and uninsured the next, they are likely to fall through the cracks. And, as we all know, preventive care is the cheapest way to insure a community. As with any government-sponsored program, there will be those who take advantage. They will be caught. In the meantime, poor families who legitimately need coverage for their children shouldn't be penalized. One out of every five Texas children goes without insurance. Many of them live in homes where their parents are employed but don't earn enough money to purchase coverage. Inadequate health care for some Texans results in higher premiums for those with insurance coverage. Doctors who can no longer afford to provide services bow out of the system, sending costs even higher. This is everyone's concern. The Texas Senate should pass this bill.
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