>>HEALTHCARE DEBATES IN THE UNITED STATES PRIMARILY CENTER
ON THE ISSUE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, POSSIBLY REPEALING IT
AND REPLACING IT WITH A GOP PLAN.
BUT THERE IS A FORGOTTEN
PROGRAM THAT'S ABOUT TO EXPIRE IN FUNDING THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR
YOU TO KNOW ABOUT, IT'S KNOWN AS THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE
PROGRAM, CHIP TO SHORTEN IT, AND THE FUNDING FOR IT UNFORTUNATELY
EXPIRES ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30.
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN SO
HELL-BENT ON REPEALING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT THAT THEY
HAVEN'T WORKED ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, SO AS A RESULT
IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT SENATE REPUBLICANS WILL DO WHAT IS
NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROGRAM REMAINS FUNDED.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THIS
IS --
>>THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAYS ABOUT THREE FOURTHS, I BELIEVE,
OF THIS PROGRAM, AND STATES ALSO GO IN WITH THEIR OWN FUNDING TO
HELP CREATE A ROBUST PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THESE KIDS ARE
INSURED.
BUT IF THIS FUNDING EXPIRES THERE ARE SEVERAL STATES
THAT COULD REALLY SUFFER IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, SOME STATES
HAVE BUDGETED THE MONEY SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FUND IT FOR A
COUPLE MONTHS AFTER THE FUNDING EXPIRES, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT
OF AN ISSUE --
>>THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF MONTHS LEFT IN TERMS OF MONEY THEY'VE
BUDGETED FOR THEIR PROGRAM, HOWEVER ARIZONA APPEARS TO BE IN
THE MOST DIRE SITUATION -- MINNESOTA IS IN THE MOST DIRE
SITUATION, THEY WILL RUN OUT OF MONEY IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S A BLOCK
GRANT THAT GETS RENEWED EVERY TWO YEARS I BELIEVE, THEY CAN
BUDGET IT OUT THROUGH THOSE TWO YEARS HOWEVER THEY WANT, AND
SOME STATES OBVIOUSLY BUDGET IT SO IT WOULD LAST LONGER,
MINNESOTA IS NOT THE CASE.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM, AND THERE WERE REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE THAT TOOK SOME ACTION TO MAKE
SURE THIS REMAINS FUNDED, HOWEVER THE SENATE SEEMS
UNLIKELY TO DO ANYTHING.
>>THE FIGHT IS NOW ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO BE FUNDED, HOW
THEY CAN PUT THIS ON THE FLOOR, I THINK THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT
OR A BILL PUT FORWARD BUT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT IT NOW BEING
TAKEN DOWN WITH ALL THESE EXTRA AMENDMENTS THAT COULD COME FROM
ANYWHERE, HONESTLY, AND AGAIN A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT'S
HOW IT WORKS AS WELL, THINGS GET TOSSED ONTO BILLS ALL THE TIME
THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
YOU FORGET, IT'S THE NORMAL
DAILY APPROACH TO HOW THEY DO BUSINESS THERE, AND MANY PEOPLE
ARE AFRAID TO PUT THINGS UP LIKE THIS THAT MAY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM
BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS.
IT GOES BACK TO
MESSAGING, THIS IS THE PRO-LIFE PARTY, WHERE IS THE LIFE OF
THESE CHILDREN?
WHEN DOES IT COME INTO PLAY?
CALLS PEOPLE OUT
BY NAME AND SAY THEY ARE ALL FOR -- THEIR CHAMPIONS OF LIFE, THIS
KID IS ABOUT TO DIE, ARE YOU A CHAMPION FOR THIS KID?
>>YOU HAVE THE CHRISTIAN COALITION THAT CAME IN IN THE
1980S AND ADVOCATED A MORAL ECONOMY WHICH OF COURSE
BENEFITED THE 1%, AND YOU HAVE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE
WHETHER IT'S DISABLED PEOPLE COMING INTO CONGRESS AND
ADVOCATING TO SAVE THE ACA WHILE THEY ARE BEING PULLED AWAY BY
SECURITY, OUR KIDS GOING TO SHOW UP?
KIDS ATTACHED TO
RESPIRATORS?
THIS IS WHAT IT HAS COME TO.
>>KEEP IN MIND THAT YES THERE ARE KIDS WHO MIGHT BE STRICKEN
WITH A SERIOUS ILLNESS, BUT THERE IS ALSO THE NEED FOR
PREVENTATIVE CARE TO PREVENT A SERIOUS ILLNESS.
I DIDN'T KNOW
IT AT THE TIME BUT I'M AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO BENEFITED
FROM THIS PROGRAM, IN CALIFORNIA IT WAS CALLED HEALTHY FAMILIES,
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE RENAMED IT SINCE, BUT WE GREW UP
POOR.
MY DAD WAS IN SEVERE DEBT, HE LOST HIS JOB AND MY BROTHER
WAS BORN, WE COULD NOT AFFORD AFTER.
SO BECAUSE OF HEALTHY
FAMILIES I WAS ABLE TO VISIT THE DOCTOR WHEN I NEEDED TO SEE A
DOCTOR, I WAS ABLE TO GET DENTAL --
>>IMAGINE IF YOU HAD ASTHMA.
>>I WAS HEALTHY LUCKILY, BUT THERE ARE KIDS WHO HAVE SERIOUS
ILLNESSES WHO NEED THIS PROGRAM, AND TO KNOW THAT IT'S ONE TO BE
SNATCHED AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE SENATE REPUBLICANS WERE SO
HELL-BENT ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT THAT THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT
THIS ISSUE, IT'S JUST SO MADDENING.
>>WHICH IS WHY WE NEED MEDICARE FOR ALL.
THIS FURTHER PROVES
THAT POINT.
SINGLE-PAYER IS THE WAY, EVEN UNDER THE OTHER
DEMOCRATS' PROPOSALS THAT THEY ARE USING TO COMPETE ITS
ELEPHANT PROTECT FROM THINGS LIKE THIS.
OKAY YOU WANT TO PUSH
FORWARD ANOTHER PROGRAM, CHRIS MURPHY, THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING
TO DO WHEN THE REPUBLICANS COME OUT AND GO AFTER THIS PROGRAM?
SO WHEN YOU HAVE MEDICARE FOR ALL REPUBLICANS CAN'T PLAY THESE
GAMES WITH A PICK AND CHOOSE A PROGRAM TO GO AND CHAMPION
AGAINST AND ATTACH IT TO ANOTHER BILL OR DETACH IT FROM A BILL,
THAT'S WHY MEDICARE FOR ALL WORKS.