IS UNIVERSAL INSURANCE IN OUR NATIONS NEAR FUTURE?
The government has several representatives that have been interested in universal health insurance for several years. They have implemented the SCHIP program (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) to help children all over the nation. Is Universal Insurance In Our Nations Near Future? The Senate Finance Committee is planning to work on the expansion of this program. This is a huge step in an effort to weed out the private insurance companies.
SCHIP currently cost $25 billion for every five years. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller’s redesign of the program would triple that figure to $75 billion. This version of the program would cover around 70% of American children in families of four making up to $82K annually would be eligible. Of course we then have to ask ourselves the question, “Where are we going to get the money to pay for that?” The same places they always take the money from shaving Medicare & raising tobacco taxes.
Shaving Medicare is definitely not the way to go. We need to take a stand and make sure that previous programs and systems stay intact. This is important in securing their original functions and productiveness. Raising tobacco taxes seems to end up the place the government choices to bring in extra money. The cost of cigarettes has risen significantly over the past couple of years. Along with rising cost has been a decrease in the percentage of smokers. Another rise in cost will cause another decrease in smokers, and eventually the amount will offset each other given the government no extra money.
The government needs to reevaluate their expense for the new expanded SCHIP program. It seems like a great program, but not at the expense of risking Medicare or losing the income of tobacco taxes. Is Universal Insurance In Our Nations Near Future? This just might be our future, however it seems as though there are many things that still have to be worked out before the program can even start to be put in motion
