You've Got to be Kidding: the Health Bill

From today's Globe:

The state's landmark health insurance law contains a little-known loophole: The mandate that all residents have coverage by next summer does not include
children.

As a key aspect of the program starts today, some advocates for the uninsured are worried that some of the state's 40,000 to 78,000 uninsured children will remain uncovered if parents cannot afford health plans that cover their entire family.

Note to Congress: Children should be the first people to get health insurance. Not only that, but they shouldn't wait any time period to get it. They should have had it for months. Let's hope the Congress can get its act together (and that Deval is elected to whip them back into shape).

One other quick note on health insurance: when the Bay State starts this program, some mass efforts at education on how to use insurance needs to be organized. A lot of people with health insurance today are still remiss to go to the doctors; that needs to change. If everyone has health insurance, gets regular check-ups and actually goes to the doctor when they feel sick - Massachusetts as a whole could stand to save money or at least break even in regards to the costs of this huge health bill.

However, if people with insurance refuse to go to the doctors early and often - instead waiting to get really sick before they show up, this new bill is going to cost even more than it already does on paper. People who get health insurance through this new bill need to feel as though it's their civic duty to get a regular check-up. With this new bill, it should be. Health insurance, in my mind, deserves to be part of a social contract of sorts. However, part of a social contract means people living up to their expectations; it means people making use of the tools society gives to everyone.