Healthcare for kids -- and adults

Re “Better than an apple a day,” Opinion, May 2

Ronald Brownstein takes us down memory lane. I can remember back to the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. I also remember how the gasbag politicians all patted themselves on the back for ending the horrible specter of uninsured kids in our time.

One decade later, that program will require another $13.4 billion over five years to meet current needs, and up to $50 billion more (according to Democrats) to meet its original goals. Shouldn’t this be an indication that the program isn’t really all that it was cracked up to be? Just exactly what is the extra money supposed to do -- instantly create new medical clinics out of thin air, quickly cure our shortage of doctors and nurses and magically transform parents into better stewards of their children’s health?

Perhaps we should be willing to take a more comprehensive approach to the problems of healthcare access and cost, one that may actually mandate less government involvement.

JOHN WARD

Redondo Beach

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All children should have access to medical care. But what about adults? For too long, Washington politicians have made vague promises to look after the little ones as a way to distract from their inaction in dealing with our broken healthcare system. Any nurse will tell you that even children with insurance are routinely denied care by insurance companies interested in the bottom line.

The wisest investment would be guaranteeing healthcare for all people, young and old. Fortunately, we have two great bills, SB 840 by state Sen. Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) and HR 676 by Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), that would provide guaranteed healthcare with single-payer financing.

DEBORAH BURGER

President

California Nurses Assn.

Oakland