Digital Analogue

Blago's legacy: healthy kids

You know, for all that I'm down on Illinois' current governor---he really is kind of a schmuck---I do have to give credit where it's due. The All Kids plan he's just gotten passed sounds pretty awesome: all Illinois children, up to age 18, will have health insurance. And rather than have a bunch of onerous hoops to jump through to keep out the people who "don't need" it, the plan is technically open to anyone. The only requirement is that the child hasn't been insured for twelve months, or is under one year old, or a parent has just lost a job. In addition, there is a sliding copayment and premium scale, so that if somehow some rich family wanted to enroll, they would be basically paying their way. And---this is the best part---preventive care checkups require no copayment.

I understand Vermont has a similar program, but then, we have twenty times as many people as them. I really hope this works. This is an important first step towards socialised health care, and it's happening right here. Illinois is so the best state to live in.

"Monks are not used to being compared to camels in heat, but they took it pretty well. I noticed eyebrows going up around the choir, and then a kind of quiet assent: 'well, there are days.'" --Kathleen Norris