Spitzer, Schwarzenegger write Bush to expand SCHIP.
Today, Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) and Eliot Spitzer (D-NY) wrote a letter to President Bush, calling on him to reverse new rules instituted by his administration that deny thousands of children health care coverage:
California and New York cover more than 1.4 million children and pregnant women using State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds — nearly one out of every four SCHIP recipients in the country. We have a long and productive relationship with CMS in leveraging SCHIP to innovatively provide maximum benefit with minimum resources.
We agree with your push for states to be a force for change in the delivery of health care to tens of millions of our fellow Americans who remain without meaningful coverage. But as you rally governors to do more to help fix our broken health care system, your administration has repeatedly modified existing Medicaid and SCHIP rules, harming states’ capacity to help you achieve our shared objectives.
The recently proposed SCHIP rules will reverse longstanding agreements with the states and reduce the number of children who receive health care. We strongly urge you to reconsider these recent policy changes, which simply diminish state flexibility.
Read the letter HERE.
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45 Responses to “Spitzer, Schwarzenegger write Bush to expand SCHIP.”
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Bi-partisanship at work.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:09 pmUnfortunately, Bush probably won’t even read the letter.
Unless those kids can fit in a 9mm shell or M1A2 Abrams munnitions I do not see what purpose there is for throwing good money at them.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:11 pmBush will pout and stamp his foot and mumble some shit and ignore them.
Petty little cheerleader that he is.
Worst pResident ever.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:12 pmNo child’s behind to be left.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:13 pmI know the answer! Just like in New Orleans … lets give kids guns!
August 29th, 2007 at 5:14 pmThose kids do not vote so they are inmaterial and insignificant. Sure we will occasionally use them as props but they are a constituency of zero and they are a burden to our more important Corporate tax cut agenda.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:16 pmNo corporate welfare??? No medical coverage!!!
August 29th, 2007 at 5:18 pmSCHIP shouldn’t be expanded at all; it’s already too expensive and abused by people who fail to fall, legitimately, under the program. As such, Bush is totally justified in scaling it back because of a number of predicaments with it. For instance, when Demoncrats bi*ch about the need to cover more people under SCHIP, they really don’t mean the legitimately poor or kids whose ages fall under the program. They really mean a devious re-definition of what constitutes the poverty level (in order to allow more people into SCHIP who otherwise wouldn’t qualify) and the inclusion of adults in their twenties mysteriously “qualifying” for the program. Furthermore, this type of government-subsidized healthcare is an unpardonable affront to the values of the US, that is, the privatized, free-market type of capitalism. If you’re too poor to purchase healthcare privately or through your job, you should go back to school to get a higher-paying job to afford healthcare. No American is responsible for another’s healthcare!
August 29th, 2007 at 5:20 pmREAD: ILLEGAL ALIENS
August 29th, 2007 at 5:20 pmTruth be told there is a cold hard fact Americans must come around to. There are a limited amount of money that can be spent. We have to prioritize our tax dollars;
1. Iraqnam
2. No-bid contracts
3. Military industrial complex
4. Corporate welfare
……………………..
11,477,381 Children AFTER birth
August 29th, 2007 at 5:22 pm11,477,382 NIH
11,477,383 Education
Forget about illegal aliens.
We should provide health care to all Mexicans.
Why discriminate based on birth country.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:25 pmIt seems like this administration has a “states rights” mentality for letting states do things it likes, but it is quick to prohibit states from doing things it doesn’t like (environmental issues come to mind).
Can someone explain what the downside is to letting states provide health insurance to kids whose parents can’t afford it?
And here is a classic quote from Bush when he took office.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:26 pm“Mommy, could read me The Little Match Girl again? I really LIKE that story!”
August 29th, 2007 at 5:35 pmArnie is a fake he called Bush first to suck up and then wrote the letter so people would think he cared. Yes the New York Governor does care but Arnie is looking to use this for votes. He is a Republican and he could care less about the people as he showed when he gave the tax credit to the rich during the time of the most need. So like the rest of his GOP friends Arnie is lying yet again.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:36 pmNo American is responsible for another’s healthcare!
Comment by Weakmindedpeopleneedgovthandouts — August 29, 2007 @ 5:20 pm
Insured Americans pay around an extra $1,000/year for uninsured Americans. Please take your weak minded drivel elsewhere. I know you won’t read my follow up post, since you cut and run each time, never to return.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:37 pmForget about illegal aliens.
We should provide health care to all Mexicans.
Why discriminate based on birth country.
Comment by r — August 29, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
A friend of mine had an interesting idea that would solve the middle east problem and the illegal alien Mexicans - transplant Israel to the north part of Mexico. That would get them out of the middle east and provide a nice buffer zone to Mexico! I thought it was a bit of thinking outside the box even if it’s not practical in any sense.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:39 pmI thought it was a bit of thinking outside the box even if it’s not practical in any sense.
Comment by yikes
The climate and lack of water are about the same…
August 29th, 2007 at 5:49 pmwhat the heck, let’s be generous and throw in Texas to boot……..
I’m glad to see that Arnold is taking a vested interest in the people of Kaleeeefornja.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:54 pm“No American is responsible for another’s healthcare!
Comment by Weakmindedpeopleneedgovthandouts”
That is how insurance works, you moron.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:59 pmHey, “R”…
August 29th, 2007 at 6:03 pmLove your idea about providing healthcare to Mexicans! Mexico provides healthcare to Americans, and any other person in need. So does Canada, France, Great Britain, and every other civilized country on the planet. So your idea about catching up to the rest of the world is welcome, although decades late.
We may also want to consider the problem of citizens being forced to pay corporate welfare to insurance companies and HMO’s who parasitically suck health care dollars (and therefore healthcare) out of decent hard working Americans.
“Unfortunately, Bush probably won’t even read the letter.”
Bush can read?
August 29th, 2007 at 6:05 pmWhy discriminate based on birth country.
Comment by r — August 29, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
Because the Latino King Nation guy will think your feeling sorry for him and get all angry and stuff again?
August 29th, 2007 at 6:23 pm/sarcasm
GW BOTCH: Phuck these Gov’s!! Both states are full of LIBEURALS!! I gotta make sure taxes from the poor and middle-class go to UBER RICH REPUGNISUMS ONLY!!!
August 29th, 2007 at 6:26 pm“No American is responsible for another’s healthcare!
Comment by Weakmindedpeopleneedgovthandoutsâ€
I know Republicans dont much care about Walter Reed and the troops, but isn’t this going a little to far?
August 29th, 2007 at 6:27 pmAs a smoker, I have to say that it seems not so fair that the program is to be paid for by raising cigarette taxes $.61 a pack. On the other hand…next time someone give me that dirty condescending look for smoking, I’m free to say “screw you…what are you doing for the poor kids???”
August 29th, 2007 at 6:37 pmPlease note that “weakminded” truly espouses the christian spirit of the Republican party and their corporate lackeys. “No person is responsible for another’s health care.” Yes, the true rephrasing of “he’s not heavy, he’s my brother.”
The fact is that most health care throughout the history of the United States was provided on a non-profit basis. How many of our hospitals were run through religious organizations, educational institutions or government? Remember Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Even much of the health insurance was not geared towards the capitalist system.
One would have to argue that health care is one of the last areas where one wants to have pure capitalism. Health care has a very inelastic demand. In most cases, care is an imperative, not a luxury. Those with the least money have the least bargaining power. Note that someone covered by insurance will be charged far less for the same service as one who is not insured.
Bargaining power can be equalized. However, the corporate interests do not want equal competition. Please note that Medicare Part D specifically prohibits negotiation by the government. Also remember that Medicare utilizes private coverage with handsome subsidies from the government. These plans, meant to bring competitive advantages to Medicare, cost the government sustantially more on a per capita basis than medicare.
Our country suffers from a competitive disadvantage with every major industrialized nation that has national health care instead of relying upon employer provided health care. Please note that every such industrialized nation outperforms the US on overall measures of health care than the United States. They do it at substantially less cost.
Note that nationalized insurance would reduce tort litigation, malpractice litigation and other court battles. Let’s face it. In many of these situations, a primary factor leading to litigation is the necessity of the individual to cover medical costs or the victim’s insured to recover medical costs.
However, the weakminded will see this as a means of boasting their own superiority over that of others because they have been fortunate to have insurance or good health at this stage of their lives.
Health care like the fire department, police and certain other public services are not appropriate for a purely capitalist system. Only the weakminded would think otherwise.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:45 pmComment by JMOHR — August 29, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
JMOHR,
August 29th, 2007 at 7:15 pmGreat post!
NOTHING REPORTED ON TP REGARDING CLINTON RETURNING DONATIONS BACK TO NORMAN HSU WHO IS A FUGITIVE OF THE LAW. COULD YOU IMAGINE IF THIS WAS A REPUBLICAN? YOUR HYPOCRISY IS SHAMELESS. WHO IS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL HERE? OH, YEAH, GEORGE SOROS IS IN CHARGE.
August 29th, 2007 at 7:55 pmHillary Clinton Campaign Donates Fugitive Contributor’s Money to Charity
Hillary Clinton Campaign Donates Fugitive Contributor’s Money to Charity Comment by Liberalismisdead — August 29, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
Wow, a politician doing the right thing, and donating questionable money to charity!!! That is news!! An honest politician is so rare, that you wingnuts actually think it’s a BAD THING!!!
That explains why CONSERVATISMISDEAD, thanks to your party of closet cases, pedophiles, purchasers of prostitutes and adulterers!!!
August 29th, 2007 at 8:03 pmWouldn’t it make more sense for Arno to expand his HEAD, so they’d have room to implant a brain.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:04 pmWeak minded people need government handouts????!!!!
Hey, tell that to corporate America, dumbass!
August 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pmLiberalism is dead???!!!
Only in your ugly mind. Not according to the polls, a-hole.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:15 pmYou show me one poll that liberalism is surging, Tired Colon Jack Zipper, and I’ll make sure your military buddies quit celebrating your departure.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:21 pmWhy do the Republicans in the Bush administration hate our nation’s children so much?
Oh right, they love money and power more than assisting any of our nation’s children who may be in dire need of health insurance or some type of medical assistance.
Also, I keep forgetting that to these foul beasts in the Bush administration with 666 on the foreheads, unless the child is a Republican child, the child of a lobbyist or the child of a major campaign contributor, then they really just don’t give a damn.
Which I seem to recollect was one of Beatitudes of Jesus Christ. Not.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:35 pmOnce again this is the Republicans motto ” We stand up for the fetus but neglect the child”.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:13 pmMaybe Arnie can talk some sense into Bush. AT least he’ll get his ear which hopefully is connected to his head.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:25 pmIn Washington last week, the White House renewed George W. Bush’s war against children’s health care that dates back to his days as Governor of Texas. Just two weeks after the House and Senate each approved major expansions of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), the Bush administration announced draconian new eligibility rules that would trim thousands of low income children from the rolls. But unlike his Texas two-step when he claimed credit for a program he fought tooth and nail, this time George W. Bush isn’t running for anything.
For the details, see:
August 29th, 2007 at 9:48 pm“Bush Repeats His Texas War on Children’s Health Insurance.”
First mistake..they wrote to Bush. hint: he can’t read. Even if he could read a little of it he would think SCHIP was something he plays with in the bathtub.
August 29th, 2007 at 10:46 pm(CNN) — An estimated 2 million babies die within their first 24 hours each year worldwide and the United States has the second worst newborn mortality rate in the developed world, according to a new report.
American babies are three times more likely to die in their first month as children born in Japan, and newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in the United States than in Finland, Iceland or Norway, Save the Children researchers found.
Only Latvia, with six deaths per 1,000 live births, has a higher death rate for newborns than the United States, which is tied near the bottom of industrialized nations with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia with five deaths per 1,000 births.
Guess what’s good for the baby is good for for the child, eh chimpy?
August 29th, 2007 at 11:46 pmWow…Spitzer is really trying to divert attention from the abuse-of-power scandal that is devastating him in New York.
August 30th, 2007 at 12:54 amI have given it some thought and it seems that the only way to make congress move quickly on tax supported national health care for all is to demand aggressive endorsement and passage of John Conyers Bill HR 676. Medicare for all. All of you need to get on the phones , the email, and every other way possible. Get your friends, and family to help also. This is not a Democratic, or Republican issue. Its an American issue that effects everyone. Demand, and harass your representatives. Federal, State, and local. Demand unequivocal endorsement, and support of HR 676 Medicare for all. And if they drag their feet, or fail to quickly support this bill. Tell them you will do every thing in your power to see they don’t get reelected if they don’t. No excuses about we cant afford it. Many knowledgeable reputable experts have clearly shown numerous ways we can easily afford it. We already spend more on health care than any other country in the world. We cant afford not to have National Health Care for all. Look at http://www.sickocure.org
American Citizens are ask to step forward for the American people, and National health care for all. And target, and run against every politician that does not sign on to aggressive endorsement, and passage of John Conyers Bill HR 676. On a platform of National health care for all, Now! Each representative will be given a DEADline by which to respond in writing. Those that do not respond. Or that do not endorse immediate passage of this bill with full veto override if needed will be targeted for removal.
This can be done people. This is your duty. Hopefully you wont have to run, or serve. But you must be willing to do so. If you have to. It’s time for the real American patriots to step forward. America, and your fellow citizens need you. The old people. The young people. The children. The babies all need you. You must start now. You must be aggressive, and relentless. You must not tire. You must take good care of your-selves so you can fight tough. Millions of life’s are at steak. The time is now. You must not fail people. Some of you who have been wiped out by illness, and medical bills. You can do this. If you get elected to the house, or senate you’ll have good health care coverage. BY GOD!!!! Actors, artist, every day people. Mother’s, Fathers. Young people. You can do this.
Don’t be distracted. There are paid teams out their that will try to distract you from this. Don’t let them. Don’t let world events, or new tragedy’s at home distract you. Health Care is the #1 concern of the American people. Flood the media over the weeks and months till passage of National Health care. Make sure every discussion, and argument is about National health care. You can do this America. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
And be strategic. If you have to run and another candidate looks like he or she will have a better chance of a win than you. And if they support non-profit, tax supported, single payer, National Health Insurance. Then drop out at the right time. And throw your whole hearted support to them. On the other hand. If you had to run because the politician in power failed to support passage of HR 676. Then do every thing in your power to win, and to see that they don’t get reelected. Even if several of you have to run to take him out. Remember this is not a democratic, or republican issue. It’s an American issue. We don’t really wont their job. We just want good National Health care for all Americans. Be tough. Be brutal if need be.
To our friends around the world. We welcome your help, and advise. Don’t be offended by the people that lash out at you. Or tell you to mind your own business. They don’t really speak for most Americans. We, America is a part of all of you. We need your help, and advice. And we appreciate any input you have to help us solve our health care crises.
Love…
August 30th, 2007 at 3:07 amugh 41 comments. way to care about your fellow Americans
you wanna see the direct effects of this?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DxJtyIjjmEA
August 30th, 2007 at 4:11 amIt’s alarming. Americans are being poisoned, raped, crippled, mutilated, and killed at an alarming rate with pharmaceutical poisons. And injured with medical devices. Along with ranking #37 in the world in quality of health care. Life expectancy continues to drop dramatically. Americans rank 42nd in life expectancy. Down over 300% in just two decades of pharmaceutical poisoning, and medical device injury’s. Infant death rates in America equal to a third world country. Childhood illness, and death rates skyrocketing. And childhood life expectancy plummeting down faster than their parents precipitous decline.
People have to understand that all prescription pharmaceuticals are first, and foremost poisons. And potentially highly toxic. This is supposed to be the reason that the FDA makes them prescription only. So that you will have highly trained medical supervision to keep you from being injured by these poisonous toxic effects while you use them. Unfortunately most US doctors have completely abandoned this critical responsibility. And instead continue to push highly toxic, less proven poisonous pharmaceuticals on unsuspecting patients for greed, and profit.
No patient should be denied safe and effective relief of their pain and suffering. Nor denied access to the best drugs, and medical technology available to relive suffering. And aid healing. But many doctors use this legitimate need of a few patients. To justify poisoning millions of other patients with no legitimate need for such toxic, and expensive poisons.
All of this horror, and nightmare is happening in the RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. And supposedly the most developed country in the world. AMERICA!!!! THE UNITED STATES!!!
A country that spends more on health care than any other country in the world. But has 45-60 million Americans with no health care.
A country that has 18000 people a year die!! because of a lack of health care. Millions raped, mutilated, crippled, and injured for greed, and profit!!!!!!!
A country that calls it’s self the most Christian in the world!!!
A country that makes up less than 2-4% of the world population. But purchases, and consumes approx 50% of all pharmaceuticals world wide!!!!!!!!!
A country where medical bills are the #1 reason for bankruptcy’s, and financial destruction. Most of whom had health insurance.!!!!!
A country that has approx 6000 women die yearly from complications of pregnancy. And millions more are injured, and mutilated for life without medical necessity. Just for profit.
A country where Millions of emotionally, and mentally ill Americans are poisoned with toxic cocktails of pharmaceutical poisons for profit.
A country with a skyrocketing rate of death, and injury from accidents like falling, tripping, and other accidents by patients impaired on legal pharmaceutical poisons.
A country where children are given NEW less proven pharmaceutical poisons that relive their asthma symptoms. But that damage their lungs at the same time. Assuring that these children will never outgrow there childhood asthma like most children do. Dramatically increasing the asthma death rate in children, and adults. And trapping them in drug therapy for the rest of their life.
A country that has corrupted medical practice guidelines. Because of sellouts by doctors to pharmaceutical companies to push drugs, and medical devices. Rather than doing what unbiased, open, transparent medical science, and well documented scholarly clinical experience indicates is best for an individual patient.
A country that threatens, intimidates, and sues health care professionals who exercise their professional responsibility by speaking out against drugs, devices, and medical procedures they believe may be harmful to patients, and the public. I could go on. And on… And there is even worse going on. Flying under the radar. That I cant go into now. That must be stopped.
America! What have! we become. Have we no SHAME!!!!!
SHAME!!!!! SHAME!!!! SHAME!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:34 amYou are all in this together. Whether you have the finest full coverage health insurance. Or no insurance at all. Whether you are the President of The United States, senator, or congressman. Or a premature infant in some inner city icu struggling for your life. Your medical care has been severely compromised by greed, and the profit motive. And in medicine, compromised care means injury, disability, and DEATH. All because the very core of American Medical health care has been compromised through the medical practice guidelines.
Guidelines that should be based purely on unbiased, open, transparent medical science. And open, unbiased, transparent, well documented, scholarly, scientific, clinical experience. All focused solely on the very best interest of individual patients. And tempered with the ancient wisdom, and warnings of Hippocrates, “To Above All. Do No Harm”. Only non-profit, tax supported, single payer, National Health Insurance can fix this disgrace.
The moment of truth has arrived. Save your-self. And save America. Act as if your life, and the life of your loved ones depends on it. BECAUSE IT DOES!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
YOU CAN DO THIS AMERICA!
Love…
August 30th, 2007 at 4:36 am# 8, That would be a violation of Child Labor Laws. Children can’t work so they can’t pay for their own healthcare.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:33 am