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Does Arkansas Really Want
Universal Health Care?
Under the Cigarette tax bill, families with incomes of $55,125 will
have access to insurance under ARKids First Medicaid insurance. 1 That income is $17,000 higher than median
annual income in Arkansas. 2 See long
list of 16 benefits in red font below – better benefits than most of
you have!
Liberals and conservatives alike have labeled ARKids the cornerstone of an
agenda pushed by an advocacy group founded by Hillary Clinton. 3
Arkansas DHS Tom
Dalton stated at the inception of the ARKids program, "This program
will put us in a very small group of states that virtually provides a kind
of universal coverage for children. Few states will cover
children up to 200 % of the poverty level. I don't know of any in the
South." 4
Private insurance is covering 55,000 fewer children
than in 2000. 5
Can't we get some legislators on board to oppose the necessary
Appropriation bill to expand this ARKids program?
According to the Democrat Gazette,
no one is opposing the expansion. 6
And
according to an article in the Jonesboro Sun, "The intense focus [on
children's insurance] is driven by Democrats' effort to incrementally
expand access to health insurance. " 7
I
believe the majority of Arkansans would disagree with giving free (or with
minimum co-pay) insurance to families making $17,000 higher than the median
annual income in Arkansas.
As
of Sunday, Feb. 16, 09 "The bill to change the ARKids
eligibility from 200 percent of the federal poverty limit to 250 percent has
yet to be filed, said Department of Human Services spokesman Julie
Munsell." 8
More
Details
ARKIDS First Medicaid
insurance is one of the health programs to be expanded under the
cigarette tax. The present eligibility requirement allows family up to
200% of federal poverty level to receive benefits, which is $42,4000 for a family of
four. Governor Beebe's plan using the cigarette tax increase would expand
the income level to 250% of poverty level (or $55,125 annual income). An income of $55,125 is approximately $17,000 higher
than median annual income in Arkansas) 6
There is a push in Arkansas to fund
ARKIDS at 300% by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (this
is the organization founded by Hillary Clinton and one of the main liberal
groups who threatened suit against the implementation of the ban on
homosexuals the state adopted as a result of a ballot initiative). 7 This would essentially be universal health care for
children and a major step toward universal health care for the nation. And
what would that do to private insurance companies and the economy?
And what will that do to health care in our
nation. When a doctor of one large group in our city was asked what
Obama's looming health care plan will do to our medical care,
he responded that we are already suffering the consequences. He said
the number of internal medicine doctors and general practitioners in their
group had already dropped from nine to three doctors. He said if he
were to die, it would take at least a year to replace him in the
group. What will it be like when health care becomes universal?
ARKids coverage includes the
following according to ARKids pamphlets given out in school systems.
Do your children have health coverage this good? And if so, at what
cost?
Physician Office Visit
Immunizations
Inpatient Hospital
Dental Care
Home Health
Chiropractors
Laboratory and /x-ray
Durable Medical Equipment
Prescription Drugs
Outpatient Hospital
Vision Care
Outpatient Mental and Behavioral
Health
Speech Therapy
Podiatry
Medical Supplies
Nurse Midwife and Nurse
Practitioner
This article can be read online
at this link: http://www.wpaag.org/Leg%2009%20-%20ARKids%20Do%20we%20want%20to%20support%20Hillary%20care.htm
For another related article
entitled, "Arkansans Paying Higher Percent of Their Income For Welfare
Health Programs than Other States, see this link: http://www.wpaag.org/Leg%20-%2009%20AR%20paying%20more%20in%20health%20care%20than%20other%20states.htm
Documentation:
1. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/252385/
2. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/acscpsinccomp.html
3. http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/01/09/DavidJSanders/344761.html
Advocacy group for ARKIDS
founded by Hillary Clinton. http://www.wic.org/bio/hclinton.htm
4. Dalton quote taken
from AR Democrat Gazette, "Plan would bridge gap in health-care
system, Feb 9, 1997.
5. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/252385/
6. Article leaves impression no
Republicans oppose this expansion. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/252385/
7. "Health insurance
for children is feel-good issue for Congress", Jonesboro Sun March 28,
1997
8. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/252385/
For other documentation exposing government corruption
see www.arkansasfreedom.com
both in Arkansas and nationally.
Cc: Arkansas & American citizens across the nation
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