Jon L. Christensen: “what we're hearing about the SCHIP negotiations sounds like this Congress is getting ready to literally throw the baby…”

“what we're hearing about the SCHIP negotiations sounds like this Congress is getting ready to literally throw the baby out with the bathwater. We started with a less than perfect bill that would have covered close to 6 million children who are eligible. We're now heading to just above 3. And the proposed changes threaten to put up barriers that would even lower that number: removing outreach dollars will never get to the children we need to cover. Requiring proof of citizenship will scare naturalized citizens and the poor that we're trying to cover away. Taking away authority of States to have income disregards will cause children now covered to lose it. Not covering parents will threaten the health of their children, if they're lucky enough to squeeze through the sieve that the House Republicans are trying to create. Too little money to the States will keep them from even reaching their most modest goals, and trying so hard to get Republican votes may cause the measure to lose key ones from Democrats. I'm beginning to think it would be better to just extend the current CHIP until we have more people here who are willing to do what is necessary to ensure that our children have access to good health and the better life that we owe them.”