Posted on 11/18/2007 3:31:59 PM PST by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON — While Congress and President Bush squabble over health insurance for low-income children, school officials nationwide are scrambling each day to find affordable medical care so that sick and needy students can continue to learn.
Growing numbers of uninsured children have made it harder for educators to focus on classroom achievement without first addressing the medical needs of their students who lack health insurance or dental coverage.
Instead of notifying parents when their children are ill, school officials increasingly must help find health care, arrange transportation for sick children and often advise beleaguered parents about the health consequences of their inaction.
Schools that don't accept the extra responsibility can lose those students to prolonged absences that jeopardize their academic advancement.
In the nation's capital, school psychologist Chandrai Jackson-Saunders got a psychiatrist to provide free Ritalin to a fourth-grade boy with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The boy had become a behavioral problem and missed more than 50 days of school when he could no longer get the drug after his mother's insurance expired.
In New Prairie, Wis., school social workers got the local Lions Club to provide corrective eyewear for a nearsighted fifth-grader whose parents had no insurance. Nancy Wells, a former school nurse in Dover, N.H., once got her own dentist to perform a free root canal on an uninsured student with an infected, abscessed tooth.
And in West Palm Beach, Fla., high school principal Nathan Collins persuaded the local school board to help fund a full-time, school-based health clinic because so many of his uninsured students were missing school because they couldn't get medical care.
"Now a kid can come in with a headache and we can give them the medicine they need, and they go back to class instead of going home or going somewhere to lay down. We think that's really going to make a difference," Collins said.
Experts say these unorthodox and sometimes desperate responses have become routine in school districts across the country as health care grows more unaffordable for working parents.
The number of uninsured children age 18 and younger grew by 710,000 to a total of 9.4 million in 2006, according to new research by the Urban Institute. Seventy percent of these newly uninsured children came from families earning more than twice the federal poverty level — that's $41,300 for a family of four.
More than 3 million of these uninsured youngsters would get full health insurance under legislation Congress passed to renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. About 6.6 million children are now covered under the program.
But after watching President Bush twice veto the legislation, citing cost and programmatic concerns, many school officials say the president has misplaced priorities.
"To me, this looks like educational neglect on the part of the government," said Jackson-Saunders. "'No child left behind.' 'Poor children first.' We've had it up to here with these (slogans). We as a country want things, but we don't want to support what it takes to make it happen. It's a very disheartening situation."
While the SCHIP program was designed to cover children in families that earn less than twice the poverty level, the new legislation would allow states to cover children from families earning up to three times the poverty level, or $61,950 for a family of four.
Wells, who's now a school health supervisor for the Department of Health in Manchester, N.H., said she'd like Bush and lawmakers who oppose the bill to visit a school health clinic themselves.
"These kids don't walk in with colds and scrapes anymore," Wells said. "They walk in with pneumonia and other communicable diseases. It's hard to realize how difficult it is for them not to have the appropriate care. You have to see sick kids to understand what it's like."
When an uninsured student at Palm Beach Lakes High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., passed out last year, Principal Collins ended up driving the youngster home because his mother couldn't afford an ambulance ride to the doctor.
Once at the boy's home, Collins learned that the child's father had similar fainting spells that had never been properly diagnosed.
"That just made me more aware of the problem we had," Collins said. "When our kids get sick, they'd go home, not get treated and they wouldn't come back to school for two or three days. And if they're not in school, that's academic suicide."
After asking the school board for a full-time clinic at the school, officials financed a $400,000 office renovation to make it happen. With board help, the state health department agreed to fund the clinic staff, which includes a licensed social worker, a medical assistant, a staff assistant and a registered nurse practitioner, Andi Devine.
Unlike most school nurses, Devine can write prescriptions, diagnose medical conditions and make referrals, if necessary. More than 420 parents have given consent to have their youngsters treated there.
Glenn Schmidt, a special-education teacher at Northside Elementary School in New Prairie, Wis., said it took school social workers nearly three months to get an eye exam and glasses for an uninsured nearsighted boy who was having trouble seeing the blackboard.
After the local Lions Club paid for the glasses, Schmidt said the boy's attitude improved as much as his vision. "It wasn't so frustrating for him any longer to walk into the classroom and know right away that he was walking into a failure situation. He was very proud of his glasses."
But over time, the glasses took a beating and the boy needed a new pair by the end of the year. So Schmidt called the social worker at the middle school that the boy would attend next year to get the same process rolling again.
In the world's richest nation, needy children shouldn't have to wait months for corrective eyewear from a charitable organization, Schmidt said.
"These are children who have not been favored by nature or by economics or by great family situations, and it's one more instance where their needs are not being met," Schmidt said.
That's why Schmidt and other educators came to Washington recently to urge Bush to stop vetoing the SCHIP legislation.
"I think the president should take into account the needs of these children," Schmidt said. "This is something he can do to help them if he chooses."
TOTAL B.S.
(Mrs. Lovejoy imitation) Will somebody PLEASE think of the children???
Which is why their parents need to make the sacrifices necessary to get these kids proper health care. (i,e get rid of the monthly payments for new cars, large screen TVs, home stereos, waterbeds etc and spend the money on the kids).
Except, of course, SCHIP reauth. had nothing to do with kids, and everything to do with allowing states to cover rich adults.
Do these papers still wonder why readership is dropping off?
Healthy families here in California costs less than a pack of cigarettes for a months coverage, that includes dental, vision and medical...and if you pay for 3 months in advance u get the 4th month free..Skip one movie every 3 months and it would be paid for as well..
propaganda.
Fixed it.
There. Fixed it.
A few decades ago, this was a "D'OH!" statement...
LIES.
That’s a load of crock! Here’s the truth, the majority of kids do not get seriously ill. Sure, they may get the common cold, sore throat, snotty nose and sniffle. But for the most part, kids in America are healthy. In my Emergency Room, less than 10% of the kids I see truly needed to be there. Yes, 90%+ of the pediatric cases in the Emergency Room are non-emergent. Therefore, mandating health insurance coverage across the board for every child in America is NOT cost-effective and just wasteful. Rather, children and healthy young adults should purchase catastrophic insurance plans which are much cheaper to cover unforeseen cases such as car accidents, cancer, etc... Mandating broad health insurance for every child in America would just fatten the wallets of the insurance companies and HMO more than it serves the public. As a physician, I would love nothing more than to get paid for every patient I see in the Emergency Department, but as a fiscal conservative, I see it nothing more than a political ploy and wasteful spending.
That’s a load of crock! Here’s the truth, the majority of kids do not get seriously ill. Sure, they may get the common cold, sore throat, snotty nose and sniffle. But for the most part, kids in America are healthy. In my Emergency Room, less than 10% of the kids I see truly needed to be there. Yes, 90%+ of the pediatric cases in the Emergency Room are non-emergent. Therefore, mandating health insurance coverage across the board for every child in America is NOT cost-effective and just wasteful. Rather, children and healthy young adults should purchase catastrophic insurance plans which are much cheaper to cover unforeseen cases such as car accidents, cancer, etc... Mandating broad health insurance for every child in America would just fatten the wallets of the insurance companies and HMO more than it serves the public. As a physician, I would love nothing more than to get paid for every patient I see in the Emergency Department, but as a fiscal conservative, I see it nothing more than a political ploy and wasteful spending.
BS BS BS
enabling bad parenting, the state will never be able to do enough to make these parents take care of their own children.
We have never, EVER, had vision insurance. All five in our family wear some sort of correction.
It’s all Bush’s fault!!
And it’s all the government’s responsibility to nanny care for all these sick kids, riiiiggggghhhhhtttt—but I’m wondering why these officials and administrators are endorsing children with communicable diseases, etc. to CONTINUE GOING TO SCHOOL for clinic care, etc.?!?
“Do these papers still wonder why readership is dropping off?”
They aren’t wondering, they learned from Gore and have asked for a recount.
The kids probably have the latest Nike $200 shoes but can’t ‘afford’ basic health care.
I went to the doctor one time before I was 18 years old and that was when I got my head busted open by a flying croquet mallate.
I grew up in the 50s though. The county health dept would come to our school giving out shots for polio and later oral vaccine. I didn't ask for it and sure didn't like those shots.
Since when is it the government’s job to provide food, housing and health care? Just listen to this quote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“But after watching President Bush twice veto the legislation, citing cost and programmatic concerns, many school officials say the president has misplaced priorities.
“’To me, this looks like educational neglect on the part of the government,” said Jackson-Saunders. “’No child left behind.’ ‘Poor children first.’ We’ve had it up to here with these (slogans). We as a country want things, but we don’t want to support what it takes to make it happen. It’s a very disheartening situation.’”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“We want things,” — but we don’t want to produce them. So let’s tax others who are.
Nice.
"The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's 'haves' and 'have-nots' continues to widen," McClatchy Newspapers' Tony Pugh reported February 22, 2007.
| Persons in Family or Household |
48 Contiguous States and D.C. |
Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,210 | $12,770 | $11,750 |
| 2 | 13,690 | 17,120 | 15,750 |
| 3 | 17,170 | 21,470 | 19,750 |
| 4 | 20,650 | 25,820 | 23,750 |
| 5 | 24,130 | 30,170 | 27,750 |
| 6 | 27,610 | 34,520 | 31,750 |
| 7 | 31,090 | 38,870 | 35,750 |
| 8 | 34,570 | 43,220 | 39,750 |
| For each additional person, add |
3,480 | 4,350 | 4,000 |
September 27, 2007
Democrats, Educators Call On Administration To Support Renewal of Children’s Health Care
Washington, DC—Democratic Senators and educators held a press conference today to discuss the importance of children’s health care and how poor healthcare not only affects children’s physical wellbeing, but has drastic effects on their education and ability to succeed later in life.
“Ignoring the health needs of America’s children – all of America’s children – is unacceptable and is a breach in our fundamental responsibility to safeguard their welfare,” said Chandrai Jackson-Saunders, a psychologist in the District of Columbia Public School System. “Student health and wellbeing are necessary to student success and directly impacts their learning and development. Children cannot learn effectively if they are struggling with physical or mental-health issues.”
Mind your own business and do your jobs! Leave the child's health-care to their PARENTS!
Sigh, they are squabbling over MIDDLE AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS CHILDREN. Low Income up to 2-2.5X poverty level is ALREADY covered. What passes for journalism today is disgusting.
[”Now a kid can come in with a headache and we can give them the medicine they need, and they go back to class instead of going home or going somewhere to lay down. We think that’s really going to make a difference,” Collins said. ]
We can pump the little shits full of Ritalin and/or Birth control pills, give ‘em a case of rubbers and show them “the movie”. They will turn out to be the best little zombies.
And when the kids fail, I assume you won't be blaming teachers?
I'd do what I could to help a kid who couldn't see get some glasses. I'd do anything necessary to help a child with an abscessed tooth (which can be life threatening). I'd pay for it myself if I couldn't find someone to help for free or discount.
6 solid year of a Republican Senate, a Republican house and a Republican President and not one damn thing that I can see has even been slowed down. We need leaders in government and sadly too many calling themselves Republican are no better than the democrats.
I do exactly that Dianna and I'm sure you do too. Just think how much more we and others could do if the government would stay out of our pockets.
I try to make every charitable dollar buy a dollars worth of service. How much of my tax dollar goes to the intended receipent? I don't voluntarily pay to have meth teeth fixed but the government does. Our prisons are filling up with meth dealers/users and one of the most common traits they share is really messed up teeth.
I have a friend who is a dentist, I send people to him and he pays part, I pay part. My decision, my dentist friend's decision, no government involvement.
b.s. lies, lies, lies, lies.
The argument from liberals is that health care is such a basic, important human right that it should be free to everyone.
Well then I say aren’t food, shelter and clothing even MORE basic rights? You have to have food shelter and clothing before you can even have the time to worry about health care. Therefore, shouldn’t we all get 100% free food, clothes and apartments?
Stupid liberals. They seem to think the Republican party is holding the key to some hidden secret room where infinite money is stored (which never devalues), and if the selfish, greedy Repugs would just hand over that key, the government could just take care of everyone for free, forever and ever.
We could all retire tomorrow and never work again because it would all be taken care of by Benevolent Big Daddy Government!
I say again: STUPID LIBERALS!
Stop insisting I purchase my children health insurance.
How will I buy my lottery tickets, how will I be able to pay for my Escalade, how will I be able to pay my ARM, on my over extended mortgage.
For the most part I agree with you. But, my wife taught for several years in an inner city school. She saw the welfare queens, and they disgusted her.
But, she also saw the kids whose parents didn’t give a crap about them or their healthcare. One little boy came in with the entire side of his face and head swollen. He could barely talk. She took him to the ER herself, against all school policies and hospital policies as well. Fortunately, they treated him. A cockroach had crawled into his ear, and laid eggs, causing the swelling and extreme pain. Mom didn’t notice or care. The little boy was in first grade. No kid deserves that.
I stated earlier today on another thread (having to do with a biased southern newspaper,of all things)-every time I hear of another newspaper going under, I turn cartwheels.
LOL . . .These people are something else.
I wonder how anyone learned before there was health insurance?
When I was growing up there was no need for expensive health care insurance. Health care was affordable by everyone. A plastic surgeon had one of my small daughters in surgery for five hours and we were charged $75.00. A week in the hospital may have cost a few hundred dollars.
The government was not involved in health care until Medicare went into effect. Then, suddenly doctors no longer made house calls. Hospital prices went up to about $5000 per day! Eventually, prescription drugs spiralled.
With the latest prescription D program on Medicare, prescription prices have gone out of sight.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to go back to the early days when income taxes were minimal and a dollar bought 97% more than it buys today? Then mothers could stay home and raise the children, and most marriages lasted a lifetime.
God was in our school system, and Biblical morality was taught there. Mavericks were few and far between, thus the name itself. Wholesomeness reigned supreme.
We had it so good in those days.
Sooo.....school officals are smart enough to make health care decisions, but not smart enough to teach the kids to read?
IMHO, all the "therapists" (speech, hearing, etc) have NO place in a school system whatsoever. What happened to parental responsibility?
No, Pete, you've got it wrong. The argument is that health INSURANCE is a basic human right.
This love affair with "health insurance" for children, the healthiest group by far, is positively bizarre.
To post a bit of advertising, a few years ago I went with a less expensive insurance program through my employer, which did not include vision care benefits. When my prescription needed to be adjusted I shopped around and went to Sam’s Club. It turned out that I saved about $200 over what I would have spent with the insurance reimbursement because the authorized providers under the insurance plan were so much more expensive than Sam’s. The Sam’s glasses are just as good as any I’d have gotten from one of the insurance plan’s authorized providers.
Moral of the story: By being somewhat self-reliant, shopping around, and taking advantage of available health care resources, instead of whining and trying to stick their hands in the taxpayers’ pockets, most people, even relatively poor ones, can do a fully adequate job of providing for their kids’ basic medical needs from their own resources.
My daughter needed an antibiotic (liquid) so I called around for the best price. I received quotes between about $17 and $25 for the same med. Ended up going with the place where I had prescriptions filled when we had insurance, because they had the best price ($17).
I told them "we no longer have insurance, don't just charge me the copay", but of course when I came to pick up the script, they only rang up the $4 copay.
WHen they rang it up for the entire cost, it was over $26. I told them I specifically checked on price prior to filling and I was told it would be $17. "Oh, we gave you a little extra" was the reply.
This was a liquid antibiotic that would be taken for 10 days. The "extra" would be going down my drain. But they padded it thinking I wouldn't see the total cost because they were under the impression insurance would pay it and I would walk away happy knowing my prescription only "cost" $4.
If you look closely at the Urban Institute, which produced one of the studies cited, you’ll find its funding for the study very likely came from a globalized pharmaceutical company’s foundation. Their goals include using schools as
“family resource centers” where the locals can all congregate and sign up for every government program under the sun, all under one roof. America, WAKE UP!!!!
What did she do, tell them she was taking him to get an abortion? (That would have shut them up.)
Third rate agitprop.
Children lose out on education because of moronic parents, teachers, school administrators, school boards, governors, senators, representatives, etc. etc. etc. But that’s okay - we’re going to give them all birth control pills. They will still be sick but at least they won’t get pregnant.
It is a good process to go through, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Even with health insurance, you can be powerless to make good decisions.
My daughter broke her leg, and required surgery. After scheduling, which was a nightmare because it fell over Christmas, we got the necessary approvals from the insurance co. When we arrived at the hospital for surgery, we were told that the only anesthesiologist there was not on our plan, because the other one was sick. We had to take the one who was there, or wait 2-3 weeks for her surgery to be rescheduled. Cost me an extra $1700. I argued for hours, but didn’t really get anywhere with it.
I work in the field, but the whole medical system works against a consumer who hopes to make informed decisions. From arrogant doctors who don’t want to take time to explain the necessity of procedures and medications to the billing clerks who can’t tell you how much anything will cost. We need a change in attitude about medical care, not universal, or school -nurse provided care.
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