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Los Angeles Times
Editorial
July 6, 2006
Until last week, it looked as if Sacramento might use a fraction of this year's
multibillion-dollar budget surplus to expand health coverage for more kids in
California. But in their final budget negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
and the Legislature decided that it was better to cave to a small group of vocal
Republicans who believe that sick 3-year-olds should be punished for their parents'
actions.
There are an estimated 800,000 uninsured children in California. Half are eligible
for state-provided insurance but are not enrolled to receive it, for whatever
reason. Most of the rest are legal residents whose families earn more than the
$48,000-a-year means-test threshold to qualify for Healthy Families, the state
program, and about 120,000 kids are undocumented and largely poor. Many uninsured
children--documented and undocumented--receive no care until they're sick enough
to visit an emergency room, which by law must treat them. If more of them saw
primary-care doctors, they'd stay healthier, place far less strain on county
hospitals and save taxpayers money over the long haul.
Understanding that, 18 of the state's 58 counties, including Los Angeles, have
been launching their own insurance plans for undocumented kids. These programs--most
of which also are means-tested--are so popular that tens of thousands of kids
are on waiting lists. This spring, the governor proposed to clear those lists
by using just $23 million from this year's surplus. But neither he nor Democratic
legislative leaders were willing to stand up to Republicans like state Sen. Dennis
Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta), who believes that "it is reprehensible to offer
services to individuals who come to California illegally."
What's truly reprehensible is that the immigration brouhaha is bleeding into
so many other policy areas. This month, for instance, the federal government
began requiring Medicaid recipients to show proof of citizenship because Congress
is worried (unfoundedly, according to an inspector general's report) that illegal
immigrants are perpetrating a significant amount of Medicare fraud. Now, 3 million
legal U.S. citizens who don't have birth certificates, some of whom are poor
and incapacitated, face losing their benefits because of anti-immigrant hysteria.
Cutting the waiting lines to the county programs offering better healthcare to
kids would have cost $23 million in available one-time money. Covering all uninsured
children of illegal immigrants who would otherwise qualify for Healthy Families
if their parents would have come here legally could cost as much as $60 million
a year--a lot, but worth it. Insuring all uncovered children in California remains
a public-policy goal worth pursuing.
Schwarzenegger and the Democratic leadership were wrong to trade the well-being
of children for political compromise. Hopefully the Legislature, which is expected
to take up the issue again later this summer, will show more courage once the
deadline pressure of budget-making is removed.
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