President Bush recently vetoed the bill that would have funded the States Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Governors across the nation lobbied for the bill, necessary to serve the still unacceptably high number of uninsured children in their states.
The president said that while he acknowledged the need to provide children of poor families with access to health care, he didn’t like the bill because he didn’t want to have people who have private insurance to drop it to take advantage of this public one. It doesn’t seem to matter that governors and other advocates have been unable to find an instance of where this has happened.
This year was proclaimed by state leaders as the year of health care reform. Four reform plans have been submitted by the legislature and the governor. Only one really provides true reform and increases access to health care for uninsured people – Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s bill SB 840, the bill for universal coverage. Proposed every year for the last five years, hopefully, this bill will finally win support and passage.
The Gilroy Dispatch recently reported that health care costs for the city have gone up an astonishing 70 percent over the last six years. Such increases are a problem experienced in jurisdictions across the nation. But, it’s not just a problem of the public sector and not limited to those who rely on CalPERS, but all health insurance companies. This issue is currently breaking the back of the nation’s auto industry and many others as well. Meanwhile, our hospital system is buckling under the costs of unreimbursed care for uninsured people.
In post-WWII America, health benefits became an augmentation to salary used by employers to encourage retention, because management – though not Wal-Mart’s – knows that high employee turnover and constant retraining is more expensive than retention of experienced, satisfied and productive employees. However, as even those with employer-provided health coverage know, every year, the rising costs to businesses to provide such coverage are transferred to employees in the form of paying extra for dependent coverage, co-pays, limited provider options and deductibles.
The practice and responsibility of providing health care to employees didn’t always rest with employers, and I don’t understand why we’re so wedded to it. As we all complain about how our government leaders spend our tax dollars, I’m puzzled by the opposition to the health care program proposed by Kuehl. Gilroy Unified School District, alone, would save $4 million. The county would save millions, as would cities. No more reform gymnastics of mandating employers to provide coverage, or employees who can’t afford it to purchase it.
I share Gilroy Dispatch columnist Cynthia Walker’s disdain for inefficient government programs, but not her faith in the private sector to solve the problems of taxpayers who are still burdened further by uninsured people in our community. I don’t see why opponents to government-run programs and extra fees don’t realize we still pay more somewhere else due to the lack of such services.
To highlight the crisis of lack of health insurance for families in Gilroy, leaders from St. Mary Church, St. Joseph Family Center and others in the faith community are holding a rally on the steps of St. Mary’s tomorrow at 10:30 before the South County Collaborative Nutrition and Health Committee’s fourth annual Community Health Day, held at Rebekah Children’s Services from 11am to 3pm. After public testimony and announcements, participants will walk in vigil to Rebekah’s to kick off Community Health Day.
Community Health Day is in its fourth year. With the theme of Avenues to Healthy Living, from a collaboration of more than 50 human services agencies, hundreds of volunteer planning and coordinating hours of human angels who already work full time on assisting the community, and tens of thousands of dollars of leveraged health services, more than 700 uninsured or underinsured working poor south county adults and children receive direct health care services, including key screenings and physician consultations.
There will be extra services which, though not direct health services, will contribute considerably to reduce stress and increase the health of local families: nutrition and fitness education, literacy services, tenant/landlord and Fair Housing counseling and immigration and naturalization services. The Mexican consul will also be here with services from his consulate as well to address issues such as dual citizenship, customs regulations, among others.
This is a wonderful free and family-friendly event with scads of children’s games organized by local Girl Scouts. The excellent example of coordination is a marvel to see. I hope you’ll come.
Columnist Dina Campeau is a wife, mother of two teens and a resident of Morgan Hill. Her work for the last seven years has focused on affordable housing and homeless issues in Santa Clara County. Her column is published every Friday. Reach her at dc******@*****er.net.
HEALTH DAY
-
10:30am – Health Care for All rally and vigil at St. Mary Church, 11 First St., Gilroy
-
11am to 3pm – Community Health Day at Rebekah Children’s Services, 290 IOOF Ave., Gilroy
