Copyright 2000 / Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles
Times
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October 2, 2000, Monday, Home Edition
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 6; Letters Desk
LENGTH: 312 words
HEADLINE:
ENROLLING UNINSURED KIDS FOR HEALTH CARE
BODY:
As one who has worked with low-income
families for more than 20 years, I was deeply troubled to read your Sept. 27
editorial and learn that 41 states may lose up to $ 2 billion in unspent federal
funds for uninsured kids. It was most upsetting to learn that
California, arguably the wealthiest of all the states and home to more than 2
million uninsured kids, must return $ 597 million in unspent
federal funds designed for low-income uninsured kids from
working-class families.
To his credit, Gov. Gray Davis eventually
streamlined the enrollment process after taking office in January 1999. Although
this resulted in a significant increase in enrollment, the vast majority of
eligible kids have not elected to join. Now that 41 states have failed, the best
way to get care to our uninsured kids, as your editorial
stated, is to automatically enroll any child who qualities for a free school
lunch. Almost 200 of California's rural and urban communities have been
federally designated as lacking access to primary care physicians. Funding
should also go to further expand the safety net with neighborhood
health centers and school-based clinics. Only then will America
meet its obligation to its 11 million uninsured kids. PATRICK
DOWLING MD
Chair, Dept. of Family Medicine
UCLA Center for
Health Sciences
*
What is always troubling to me is the
government's concern that tax money was not spent. The editorial says that it is
terrible that California did not spend over half a billion of federal tax money
and may have to send it back. This is the same thinking that we in the defense
industry always objected to when federal employees would complain that we
underspent a contract.
In one year Davis increased the Healthy Families
enrollment by 700%! Really, Gov. Davis, where did you find all these extra
people?
FRANCIS JANSEN
Northridge
LOAD-DATE: October 2, 2000 
