This is the kind of stupidity that always results when you put Democrats in power. Can you think of a more counterproductive way to fund a health care program than by relying on citizens to ruin their health? Illinois’ Medicaid program faces a $2.7 billion shortage that its governor has promised to deal with. So [...]
Anyone up for another example of mission creep? This time its the Department of Education using the school lunch program to funnel people into the SCHIP program. Here’s how the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, describes his mission: Our job is to make sure everyone knows how to enroll. There is a role for every member [...]
There are few surer ways to produce a self-satisfied smirk on the face of an Obamacare supporter than to mention Ronald Reagan’s early opposition to Medicare. This post by Hanna Rosin is typically smug: This morning I heard a clip of Ronald Reagan, then candidate for governor, speaking about the prospect of Medicare, and sounding very [...]
Yesterday, I pointed out that the SCHIP tobacco tax is a device designed to force poor people to buy insurance for members of the middle class. Anyone still doubting that should consider our President’s latest executive order: President Barack Obama made more children from middle-class families eligible for government health insurance Thursday by lifting a directive [...]
The most disgraceful feature of today’s SCHIP vote involves the plan to pay for the legislation by taxing the poor. The Democrats deny that their tobacco tax will have this effect, but they are lying. Here’s the lead author of a 2007 study: Further tax hikes [on tobacco] would place an undue burden on the poor–those hit the hardest [...]
Anyone expecting congressional Republicans to hold the line on health care should consider today’s craven GOP behavior on SCHIP. The Republicans know this is a bad bill, and that Bush was right to veto the boondoggle when he was President. But don’t look for much GOP courage this time around: It’s a twofer tonight for [...]
What is it about bad ideas that makes them so hard to kill? In a sane world, a tobacco tax to fund a health care program would be laughed out of existence. I mean, it creates a need for smokers. It’s an idea so dumb that only Congress could think of it: If the above video doesn’t [...]
The more government involvement we have in health care, the more politicized the system becomes. In addition to shenanigans such as those we have seen relating to SCHIP and Medicare Advantage, there will also be straightforward graft. Per the WSJ: The $8 million in new state money that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly tied to a $50,000 campaign contribution from a [...]
During last year’s debate over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, President Bush was routinely excoriated in the media for saying that many states had diverted SCHIP funds from poor kids to children and adults from families with incomes exceeding $80,000. He was right, of course, as AP reports: People earning as much as $295,000 are enrolled in a state health [...]
In addition to the tall tales she’s been telling about her foreign policy experience, Hillary has apparently been lying about the part she played in creating the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Boston Globe reports the following: Hillary Clinton, who has frequently described herself on the campaign trail as playing a pivotal role in [...]
