ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 8, 1996 TAG: 9612090115
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-13 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: The Washington Post
Looking for a more measured way to expand health care to those without it, congressional Democrats have decided to make medical coverage for uninsured children one of their top legislative priorities in the new Congress.
The proposals, being drafted by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri and other key Democrats, essentially could create a new class of federal social support. Some of the initiatives would offer a tax credit to help parents buy their children a health care policy, while others would offer a direct federal subsidy of some type.
Although the details are still being worked out, most of the measures focus on children in families that fall between the cracks: They're not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but not affluent enough to pay for private insurance entirely out of their own pocket.
By focusing on children's health, the Democrats believe they have seized on an issue that is politically more palatable than the ambitious health care plan that collapsed in President Clinton's first term. And by taking a more tempered approach, they hope to build on the successes achieved last year in the bipartisan effort to pass the Kassebaum-Kennedy bill that strengthened coverage for the unemployed.
In all, about 10 million U.S. children are without health insurance, according to estimates by the General Accounting Office.
The plan would cost $20billion to $24billion over five years and would allow subsidies for a majority of uncovered children, according to one estimate. As conceived, it would be paid by adding 75 cents to the tax on cigarette packs.
Republicans say they want to see the actual proposals before signaling their support.
``Senator Roth is concerned that health care be available to children,'' said an aide to Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth, R-Del. ``He would like to see the details of the proposals before commenting.''
Already, though, a coalition of children's groups is gathering behind the ``Kiddycare'' concept, the label being attached to many of these proposals.
Stan Dorn of the Children's Defense Fund said that the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, the most recent, found that one-third of uninsured children with two or more ear infections and a majority of uninsured children with asthma ``never saw a physician.''
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB