Without S-Chips, California stands to lose a lot, or I should say the children in California that depend on the "Healthy Kids" program...and may not get to the doctor as often and when needed due to cost and the inability of the parents afford the payments...so back to the ER room we all go once more...and hopefully not end up with more kids in the hospital as a result...hopefully something positive will happen between now and the 5th of December...BD
SACRAMENTO, Nov. 5, 2007 (KGO) - The state has just taken action to cut hundreds of thousands of poor children from its health care program soon if the president and congress can't agree on reauthorizing "S-CHIP," the state children's health insurance program. Democrats in Congress are trying to increase S-CHIP funding to cover ten-million children. That's almost double the number now in the program. But President Bush says it's too expensive. He vetoed their first bill and is threatening to do the same with their second attempt. Here's how California is affected: For every dollar the state puts into its "Healthy Kids" program, the federal government has been matching it with two, from s-chip.
California needs $1.2 billion dollars in federal funding to meet this year's enrollment projections. Without an agreement, funding would stay at the previous year's levels or $250 million less. The Board will meet again on December 5th. If federal money doesn't come by then, disenrollment letters could go out that night.
It's a move that worries pediatrician, Dr. Richard Pan, who fears parents just won't bring their kids to the doctor anymore."They're not going to have coverage for their medications. They're likely going to get sick more often, miss more school. Parents will likely miss work. In addition, they'll more likely end up using the emergency room and end up in the hospital," said Dr. Richard Pan from UC Davis Pediatric Clinic.
abc7news.com: California could drop children's health insurance
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