You should know that I believe in a right to healthcare based on the fundamental rights of equality and opportunity. My comments above were an attempt to shed some light on the values that I feel those with different philosophical and political beliefs might share in common with me.

The reason many people have pushed for parent’s coverage through SCHIP is that children with parents who have health insurance are more likely to receive all of the timely acute and preventive care that the program is meant to ensure. In other words, parents tied in to the health system are more likely to make sure that their children receive care when they need it and get prevention before they do.

While I support this argument, I understand that many conservatives who support this program do not support this aspect, and so it is not something that I addressed above.

With all of that said, you should be more gracious in your posts. There is nothing to be gained by insulting others who’s beliefs are different from yours.

Please sign this petition asking Bush not to cut health care to children:
http://www.ncdp.org/petition_schip

Max, I do not know how you do it, more power to you. But, please know that others can not afford coverage, even if they want to, and most that I see certainly do (want to).

The problem is that you view healthcare as something that people have to earn – something that people shouldn’t just be given as a handout. How dare the government take money from those who honestly earned it to give health insurance to families who should be able to work a little harder or budget a little better. And you might be right – some of these families might be able to pay for health insurance. Even so, that doesn’t change the fact that so many of them don’t have health insurance for their children.

I’m not going to get into an argument over whether these families deserve the help or not (which we can have another day). I simply want to know this: By libertarian thinking, everyone deserves where they end up (to a point) based on their own choices in life. But what about the children? The children in these families, no matter what you may think of the parents, have not made any choices that could result in them not having health insurance. Why should they not be given the same opportunities to health as everyone else? I contend that they deserve to start out on the same foot healthcare-wise as everyone else, even the “grownup rich kids.”

Isn’t health insurance for children something all of us can get on board with? You and I may disagree over whether or not adults may “deserve” help from the government, but surely we can agree that everyone should at least be given the same starting opportunities!

It just hit me. Sorry to post back-to-back…

Adam, the reason why our senators voted against it is plain and simple. If we continue to provide health insurance for kids whose families make below 300% of the poverty level, the next thing you know, those making above that amount will start popping out more kids so that they can qualify for free insurance!

Don’t you remember the welfare queens?

Good thing I’m not a rich grownup kid, or else I’d have never figured this out!

Congratulations on being able to afford health care for your family! I’d be interested in finding out about who your insurance provider is and what ‘affordable’ private-market insurance options are available for a family of four making below $62k (that’s 300% the poverty level). I’ve got some friends in this income-bracket that can’t seem to find anything worthwhile that they can afford.

On a side-note, I’ve got some adult friends that have college degrees, making just over 300% of the poverty level, working for companies that don’t provide health insurance, and are unable to afford any decent health insurance.

Personally, I’d much rather see our tax dollars go towards providing affordable and comprehensive health care than paying Blackwater. I’m sure Libby and Burr would back their boy on continuing to support them, however.

Your “save the children” rhetoric is astounding. Don’t you realize that with every breath you’re advocating theft by the state on behalf of those who are in a position to provide for themselves? I’ll pass over the problem of crowd out, and the slippery slope to socializing medicine — a slope that you’re happy to grease I’m sure.