Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Will Obama Health Care Prevail?, Pt.2 – Shape up SCHIP.

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All things considered, many experts don't expect to see major health insurance changes take place until 2010, when substantial funds may become available.  But, at least Mr. Obama has set the tone for debate.  Some of the major issues are expected to be:

1)                    How to cut or curb rising costs.

2)                    How to provide health insurance to 45 million Americans.

3)                    How to mandate minimum health insurance standards.

4)                    How to mandate universal health insurance availability.

Again, since the plan has already been fleshed with so much detail, decisions to hinge on will involve what elements are modifiable and what are core?  Core changes would effect the overall result of our nation’s health insurance/care delivery system.  Even if (by some miracle) this all went along smoothly, there will still be the serious problem of urgency vs. funding allocation, when it come down to the 45 million Americans with no health insurance.  If all of these could be surmounted and the plan could be implemented in a day, everything might work fine.  But, unfortunately, these serious problems aren’t going away anytime soon while the urgency is building every day.  What will we do?

One issue expected to be forthcoming soon is the expansion of SCHIP and Medicare.  SCHIP is the State-level Childrens’ Health Insurance Program and has been in hot contention with the Bush administration for over a year now.  Every time the Democratic Congress tried to push it through, Bush would veto it.  Now, finally, it is seeing some sunshine.

Bush had gone so far as to threaten to completely shut down federal aide to any state not in compliance to a new restrictive rule he had concocted.  When push came to shove, however, Bush relented, stating it was only a ‘recommended policy’ anyway.  Part of Obama’s push to expand SCHIP will be the ultimate goal of mandating health insurance for all children.

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