Cover All Kids enrollment 12,000 higher than expected
Posted by Amber Gunn - January 23, 2008At this morning’s GMAP session on healthcare, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) gave an update on the “Cover all Kids” health legislation from last year, which expanded state-funded healthcare for children whose parents make up to 250% of the federal poverty level. Starting January 2009, DSHS must cover all children under 300% percent of the federal poverty level (about $62,000 for a family of four).
As it turns out, more children have enrolled in the program than anticipated—a lot more. So where are all these kids coming from and why the discrepancy? According to DSHS, about 12,000 non-citizen children enrolled in the program in a two month period when the new eligibility standards kicked in.
It is notable that the fiscal note provided by the governor’s budget office and relied upon by the legislature when the bill passed assumed some 6,680 illegal immigrant children would be added to the state’s rolls by the end of the 2007-09 biennium. The June caseload forecast council raised the estimate to 16,825. No doubt that estimate will also have to be revised upward, based on initial enrollment data.
To top off the insanity, DSHS plans to pay a private marketing firm to advertise the program in an effort to recruit and enroll even more kids (most of which, are already enrolled in the state’s Basic Health program or carry private insurance).
The bottom line is that this program is likely going to cost a lot more than expected because of non-citizen enrollments and citizens who drop private insurance in favor of the state’s “free” coverage. Then again, for many legislators that is the policy goal—to get as many people on the state’s rolls as possible, creating more dependents who demand more services, which requires more government employees to provide them and more taxes to pay for them. Make no mistake, there are a number of lawmakers and state officials who would push for universal healthcare in Washington. The “Cover all Kids” legislation was just the first step.
As a funny side note during the GMAP session this morning, when discussing the Department of Health’s progress in meeting targets for implementing recommendations from its recent performance audit, Governor Gregoire asked Secretary of Health Mary Selecky, “Who calls you more often [to ask if you’ve met your targets]? Me or Bob Williams?”
Thoughts? Add Comment -
Dale Magart said on Jan 25 2008 at 5:44pm
Article is on soundpolitics.com by Eric Earling and has 21 comments so far.
Steve Prestek said on Jan 26 2008 at 10:59pm
Chris Gregoire sez: ““We need to try some new ideas but we need to do it smartly and thoughtfully and not hurt the market and not hurt the patients.”
To late. It's already done, years ago, when the state enacted their mandates to basic private health care like acupuncture, herbal therapies, taking all that come regardless of prior affliction etc. Rather than let the market dictate the state dictates and my heath insurance is considerably more expensive because of it. I can only afford so much and I have less coverage because of the state. Where is Ms. Gregoire’s consideration for me as she tries to bamboozle the public into another term.
The simple fact is that this is another battle lost in the war on bloated, overbearing government. The only questions I’m concerned with now is how long can I afford to live here, the timing of my exodus and where to go next.