Should the federal government make healthcare mandatory for children?

Question

Is it the federal governments responsibility or does it belong to the state? Should parents be the only ones responsible for their children?

Answer 1

Rather than mandatory, how about available? At a reasonable cost? Children are our future, and the fact that we don't even ensure them basic health care is not something I am at all proud of.

Answer 2

Yes, parents should be the only ones responsible for their children.

Answer 3

Yes.  Look at the death rates for American children aged under five.  One of the highest in the developed world despite the USA spending more on healthcare per person than any other nation on the planet.

Answer 4

why is it the governments responsibility to foot the bill....are they the parents...?  are they going around getting women pregnant?

Answer 5

When it comes to adults that are capable of working I beleive that they should be responsible for themselves.  Don't have a job that offers healthcare, find one that does.  As for kids, I think we have to take some responsibility there because not all kids are blessed with parents that are doing what's best for them.

In my opinion whether federally mandated or state mandated there should never be a child without healthcare.  As far as these people who are to lazy to get off their tushy and get a job with health insurance let them deal with their own inadequacies.  Mcdonalds even offers healthcare people.  

If you can't work because you are disabled it's our place to make sure they are covered as well.  But stupidity and laziness is not a disability that I care to keep supporting.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Answer 6

Medicaid and SCHIP are a mixture of federal and state, so there's a reasonable dodge in that. What's gone unexplored so far is the method of funding. In many states, Medicaid is the majority of the state budget, eclipsing the total of education, transportation, and other state programs, and it's a real budget-buster. Without further details on how these programs are to be funded, I'm personally taking Obama's position as an empty phrase, there not having been enough details so far to consider it a part of his platform.

Answer 7

Health care for children sounds very appropriate.  It is disgraceful that some parents are forced to go into financial ruin in order to provide  preventive and diagnostic care for their children because they lack adequate health coverage.