SCHIP

I know, this is old news. It isn't happening (right now, at least). But I recently emailed my congressman, who tried to override the President's veto of this. That annoyed me. Why? Wouldn't we qualify under their new (or current!) standards for this children's health insurance plan? Sure we would. But I prefer freedom.

Let me explain... The idea of this Children's Health Insurance stuff is to provide the 'working poor' (families of four with an annual income of $60-some thousand [proposed] or less). How will this be paid? Taxes of course. And who pays taxes? Well, families with incomes of 60-some thousand, for starters! So basically they'll insure our kids if we pay for it. Oh, but we can't shop around, or choose not to buy it at all. And we all know what happens to prices and services when the government starts footing the bill... (anyone been to the DMV lately?). So ultimately they just want to take away my choice in the matter. And THAT really annoys me.

Here is what I wrote to my congressman:

I'm writing to express my disappointment with your vote to override the president's veto of this bill. The bottom line for me is that it would take away my choice... Instead of having the choice of insurance (or to choose to forego it), that choice is made for me, and then I AM TAXED to pay for it. How is that of any benefit? One month ago I gave birth at home with a midwife, and I don't have insurance. Were I paying for it (thru taxes or otherwise), I wouldn't have been able to use it. I and the baby were treated with all sorts of non-traditional things, from the herbs to help heal my tear, to the ointment for her belly button. These wouldn't have been covered by insurance, and I would have been paying twice for them. The other option is that Mother Government would be watching over my shoulder and approving or disapproving and overseeing every little thing, and that would be horrendously stupid (and take away even more choices). By the way, while my first two children were born at the hospital with great outcomes, this was the best birthing experience I've had. Had we been taxed extra to pay for insurance we wouldn't use, I might not have been able to afford this option. Please consider this next time you have a chance to represent us.

I know, this is more about *me* than my children, but the same principle applies.

One other related annoyance: Don't you just love how these dummies universal-healthcare-advocates throw around phrases like, "forty-million American children are denied healthcare." I'm sorry, isn't there some sort of rule or law that hospitals follow that states that no one will be denied healthcare due to race, religion, blah blah blah, or inability to pay...? I'm pretty sure that's been posted on the wall (in several languages, even) in every hospital room I've been in. So let's just stop with the whole "children-are-denied-healthcare" argument, shall we? What they mean is those "who don't have someone else to pay for their medical bills." We can't forget those "who don't have someone else to pay for their electric bills" or those "who don't have someone else to pay for their satellite or cell phone bills." Aren't those rights too? Though my cell company doesn't post that no one will be denied airtime due to inability to pay...!

What do you think?