Our Congress and President are currently having a battle over proposed modifications to a federally funded children’s health care program (Schip). The WSJ had a few articles covering this in the Friday and Saturday editions. Some figures from the article:
- Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children from 2003 through 2005, at 20.4%; followed by Florida, 17% and New Mexico, 16.7%. Vermont had the lowest rate, 5.6%.
- Nearly 11% of children in the USA were uninsured in 2005. Rates for white children, at 7% were less than those for Asians, 12%; African-Americans, 13%, or Hispanics, 22%.
- About 670,000 adults are covered by Schip. Eleven states cover some parents, and six states cover either pregnant adults or some adults with no children.
- As Texas governor, Bush unsuccessfully sought to limit access to Schip.
- The USA spent $5,700 a person on health care in 2003, about double that spent in the U.K. ($2,300), Sweden ($2,750), or France ($3,000).
It is really pretty sad that the richest and most powerful country in the world has citizens with no health care.