Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Republican from Kansas, fields a question from a single mother. The question is fairly straightforward. “I’m a 27 year-old single mother. I work full-time. I do not have health insurance. My employer does not provide health insurance to me and I cannot afford it privately. Why shouldn’t my government guarantee all of its citizens health care?” Jenkins responds by laughing at her for a minute before telling her to “go be a grown-up.”ginandtacos.com » Blog Archive » WINNING ‘EM BACK, ONE VOTER AT A TIME
see yesterday’s post for the Michael Steel video where he tells a health care advocate that she’s just trying to get on TV.
The above summary is a bit of an exaggeration. Rep. Jenkins did not respond to her question with just laughter and a dismissive “go be a grown-up.” She answered seriously and respectfully (at first) by telling the single mother that Medicaid and S-CHIP are there for people like her. When the woman engaged Jenkins in further debate, it led to the derisive laughter and dismissive remark. It was cold, but not quite as cold as characterized. (You can watch it in the video.)
Of course, I’m not saying Jenkins is right. I’d venture a guess that this single mother is among the millions who do not qualify for Medicaid or S-CHIP but who also cannot afford private insurance, which is exactly why a public option is necessary. Yes, these are excellent programs, but the eligibility for S-CHIP varies by state, and states are only required to provide Medicaid to those with an income just above the poverty level or below. But these programs are suffering while states face budget shortfalls during this recession. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 20 states cut S-CHIP and/or Medicaid funding. And, “At least 27 states have implemented cuts that will restrict low-income children’s or families’ eligibility for health insurance or reduce their access to health care services.”
If Republicans are telling low-income families to utilize state and federally funded health insurance, wouldn’t that be a drain on the already struggling programs? This is where the opponents of a public option lose me. It would an intelligent fiscal move if we made affordable health insurance available to everyone, since it could alleviate the strain on programs like Medicaid and S-CHIP.
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