Republicans Wrong Again on Opposition to Childrens Health Care

Republicans don't like to plan ahead. It doesn't bring in campaign contributions now. Planning ahead requires thought, research and a possible deviation from ideological rigidity.

This study about that "controversial" SCHIP program for kids the GOP didn't want to support should tell you something about the destructive roll they're still on.

Houston Business Journal-Extending health coverage to all children in the United States will yield a net gain for the economy, according to new research by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

“Providing health insurance to all children in America will yield substantial economic benefits,” wrote Vivian Ho, chair in health economics at Rice University and co-author of the report.

Children who receive health care coverage go on to become more productive adults. The cost incurred by insuring the children is offset by the increased value of the additional life years and quality of life gained by medical coverage, the report stated. “The up-front incremental costs of universal health insurance coverage for children are relatively modest, and they will be offset by the value of increased health capital gained in the long term,” the report stated.

The research was based on studies published in scholarly journals examining the economic impact of failing to insure U.S. children. Researchers estimate that nearly eight million children in the U.S. are uninsured, and the nation ranks third among the 30 industrialized members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in percentage of uninsured citizens.