Override veto of child health plan
President Bush has vetoed the reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. Congress has voted to boost funding by $35 billion over the next five years as opposed to Bush's suggested $5 billion increase. Although there are six million children already in the program, there are millions more that still need to be enrolled. If the veto cannot be overriden, those six million children will lose their benefits. A veto will also prevent middle income children from having coverage.
Many families of all economic levels have seen their employee health benefits disappear. Many employers are now covering only the employee with the employee picking up the full cost for the rest of the family. This can burden a family with huge premiums they cannot afford. Often they are forced to choose minimal health care for their family.
Over 45 million people in the United States, the land of opportunity and freedom, have no health insurance. How can we turn a blind eye to this growing problem?
In Illinois alone, our All Kids Covered program is in financial jeopardy. The governor and the legislature cannot come to terms on funding.
All Kids has helped so many children in our community live healthier lives. This program affords them the benefit of having a medical home where they are able to receive health care in a physician's office and have continuity of care. Many of our community's families benefit greatly by this program.
We have a moral responsibility to take care of our own and to give our children the best chance of growing up healthy and strong. By forcing families to go without insurance, people will go without medications, surgeries and cancer treatments to name a few. Children with critical and chronic illnesses also are at risk and may succumb to something that could have been treated.
Please contact your represenative in the U.S. House, where there may not be enough votes to override a veto, and ask him or her to pass this critical legislation through an override, for the children of our community.
Timothy Wall,
pediatrician
Naperville