HHS News U.S Department of Health and Human Services
July 15, 2002
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today released an HHS report that shows American children are significantly more likely to have health insurance today than in 1997, when the bi-partisan State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted into law.
The CDC report also found that overall health insurance coverage has improved. The percentage of Americans without health insurance fell to 14.1 percent in 2001 from 15.4 percent in 1997.
Table on the number and percent without health insurance:
Comment: The success of the SCHIP program in expanding health insurance coverage for children is gratifying. But what did not appear in the news release, but only in the table accessible through a link, is the fact that for ages 18-64 years, 30.8 million were uninsured in 1997, and 30.9 million were uninsured in 2001. Most experts agree that this number has become even larger since the onset of the recession.
More disconcerting news is that the recession has negatively impacted the funding of Medicaid and SCHIP, since most states must produce a balanced budget. That means program cuts since politicians are refusing to increase taxes. On July 15, CMS administrator Tom Scully told the National Governors Association, “We can’t always give you more money. But we are trying to help you… make the money you have go as far as you can.”
We have enough funds in health care to provide comprehensive services for everyone. Isn’t it time for a policy change?
(Scully quote: Arrillaga, Associated Press, July 15)