Many people may not be aware but there is a program called CHIP which provides life saving medical care for children whose parents make to much to qualify for Medi-Cal. Many middle class or lower middle class families make to much to qualify for Medi-Cal. However, they do not make enough to pay for health insurance or what their insurance does not cover. The CHIP program helps parents pay for their child’s life saving surgery or medication.
I wrote an article a couple weeks ago about how this program is in danger of being cut financially. It is still in danger today because nothing has been done. It is in danger of being cut due to Trump’s proposed income tax program. Due to cutting the tax rates on corporation and lowering the tax bracket for people who make more than a million dollars a year, there are not enough funds to cover this program.
For this to happen in the United States is insane. We are supposed to be the super power in the world and the United States is supposed to be the advocate for human rights. We go to counties which violate human rights and threaten to impose sanctions. However, in our on country we are violating the rights of children to life saving medical care. This is the first time that this program is in danger of being cut.
To show you how important this program is to children and their families, I am including a link to a newspaper story. The story discusses a boy who is in danger of having his medical care terminate because CHIP has not been funded. It also describes the agony that his parents are experiencing. They are facing a situation of seeing their son being denied the life saving medical care he needs because CHIP has not been funded. As a parent how would you feel if this was your son? Here is the link, please read the story http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-childrens-health-insurance-20180109-story.html
Also Jimmy Kimmel discussed this issue on his show. His son was born with a life threatening heart condition and needed several life saving surgeries. He can afford it, but he has seen many families who cannot afford their child’s health care. Please watch this video of Jimmy Kimmel with his son so you can really understand this issue. Here is how Jimmy Kimmel explained this very serious situation on his show https://youtu.be/MmWWoMcGmo0
If you have a child or care about children call your Congressperson and Senator and urge them not to pass income tax reform without the CHIP program.
Dr. Michael Rubino is a psychotherapist who has 20 years experience treating children and teenagers. For more information about Dr. Rubino’s work or his private practice visit his website http://www.RubinoCounseling.com.