Jan. 12, 2004 - 20:07 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

What's Snoo ?

Bob Hebert of the New York Times in his article, "Low-income Americans losing health coverage," in The Rocky Mountain News issue of Monday, January 12th pretty well covers what is happening, I think.

He starts out, "While headlines continue to tell us how great the economy is doing, states across the United States are pulling the plug on desperately needed health coverage for low-income Americans, including about a half-million children." "Even as the Bush administration continues its bizarre quest for ever more tax cuts, the states, most of which by law have to balance their budgets, are cutting their vital social programs so deeply that tragic consequences are inevitable."

He goes on, "A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that 34 states have made potentially devastating cuts over the last two years in public health insurance programs, including Medicaid and the very successful children's health insurance programs known as CHIPS. More cuts are expected this year."

Consequences, "Officials at the center noted the case of a woman in St. Louis who works but whose annual income is below the poverty line. Under elegibility rules in effect until 18 months ago, she would have qualified for Medicaid. Under the new rules she does not. The woman became ill and was told upon her release from a hospital to seek follow-up care. But without any health insurance, her medical bills have been overwhelming. According to the center, 'The woman has occasional abdominal pain but is not getting any treatment. She intends to declare bankruptcy because she cannot pay the $47,000 she owes in medical bills, but so far has been unable to save the funds needed to pay for a bankruptcy filing. People caught in this kind of squeeze often find themselves 'sicker,' much poorer or both,' said Robert Greenstein, the centers director."

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My wife and I are extremely fortunate in that our HMO is paid by the company I retired from. I do notice of course the increasing cost of health care in the things we have to pay more for than we did before. Mostly because the company will not stay with the increasing costs of same. They pay the same amount per year to any of several health plans and tie that amount to what they pay their company system. But if things get worse in the country even we who are not under Medicaid will either have to live in spite of our ailments or die because we can't pay for medical treatment or prescriptions. But there are many now in that boat with the leaky bottom.

To me it appears that the middle class are becoming low-income folks now, and probably the loss of overtime pay will put them even further down. Homeless people due to loss of their jobs, can't get a job without a residence address or phone number. And their families too are suffering from the lack of funds.

Seems to me that the unemployment figures do not take into account the people who cannot look for work and have more or less given up. I wonder what the figure actually is ?

Guess states-righters are having to swallow their words. Federal government thinks it can't afford all this fancy necessary stuff and is dumping it on the states. The companies and corporations who haven't had to pay much in taxes in a coon's age and off-shoring work including white collar and engineering have been getting tax breaks. Why ? ? ? ? ?

Seems as if we tightened up ship there would be money for health care at least. But it probably won't happen, so What's Snoo ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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