Blouin unveils health insurance for children plan (DM Register)

[Debi]

Democratic candidate for governor Mike Blouin this morning proposed increasing enrollment in the state's child health insurance plan by raising the income level for those eligible.

Blouin, the state's former economic development director, also said state government should help pay for a nurse in every school district.

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http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060103/NEWS09/60103002/1001


All this, with the Federal cuts we just sustained, and continued Iowa Values $$? WOW! Um, where's the money going to come from?

[Debi]

1. Additional info - Fallon/Judge/Culver comments

Blouin: Cover more kids by raising income cap

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The announcement was Blouin's first policy proposal since entering the race in October and the first by any of the seven Democrats seeking the nomination aimed specifically at increasing children's access to health insurance.

Blouin declined to say by how much he would propose raising the income threshold for families eligible for the state's low-income health insurance program, known as Hawk-I. Today, families of four earning up to about $38,000 qualify. He also declined to say how he would pay for the other changes or how much they would cost.

Blouin said roughly 90,000 children in Iowa, about 12 percent, go without health insurance at some point during the year. Those numbers also appeared in a 2004 study by the University of Iowa. However, more children had health insurance at least some of the time in Iowa than in most states, according to two studies which ranked Iowa in the top five states for fewest uninsured children.

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State Rep. Ed Fallon, also seeking the nomination, said Blouin's plan lacked imagination.

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Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge has said she would propose using money set aside for business incentives to help small employers defray health care costs.

Secretary of State Chet Culver has proposed allowing parents of children who receive Hawk-I benefits to qualify for coverage under the program.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060104/NEWS09/601040347/1056


Culver (right now) is the only one thinking about how many ADULTS in Iowa also do not have health insurance (of course, he'd have to find the money to pay for the increased use of the program by adults).