The New Majority: houston's minority news reader

TEXAS GOVERNMENT BURECRACY MAY HAVE HAD A HAND IN THE DEATH OF THIS CHILD

By Paul Fitzgerald Bennett

Devante Johnson will never know what it's like to be 15 years old. For more than 4 months in 2006, the 14-year-old had no health insurance to treat the advanced cancer of his kidneys. Before that, Medicaid covered the cost for chemotherapy and radiation that the teen needed to survive.

Two months before the health coverage ran out, Devante's mother submitted renewal applications, made several phone calls and faxes to no avail. By the time State Representative Sylvester Turner intervened to restore coverage, it was too late. Devante died on March 1, 2007.

"We don't know if the bureaucratic nightmare was the cause of his death, but certainly it could have contributed to it," said Barbara Best, Texas Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund.

Devante's story is not a new one. One out of every five children in Texas is without health insurance, giving Texas the highest rate of uninsured children in America. If that statistic sounds hollow, maybe the thought of having more than 1.4 million uninsured Texas youth will make a better connection to the human ear.

"To take care of our uninsured children would cost four months of the Iraq War. Where are our priorities? Do the math. It's just penny wise and pound foolish," said Ms. Best.

There is something Texas can do in the meantime says Ms. Best. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federal governmental entity which matches participating state funding. If Texas puts a dollar in an uninsured child's health insurance bucket, America puts a dollar in the bucket.

The problem is that children like Devante's buckets are empty because Texas is not making a contribution. A program which would cost $40 a month in state funds per child is now put on the backs of Texas taxpayers who currently foot the entire bill for an uninsured child.

"As a matter of simple fiscal conservatism, I hope Texas will, in the future, take full advantage of available federal matching funds to bolster our state health care system," said U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. "CHIP, given the available match, makes sense for our children's health and economic sense for our taxpayers."

So what are the solutions? Ms. Best says Texas needs to untangle governmental strings which won't choke uninsured children. Texas is one of only two states which require the uninsured to pass an asset test in order to get CHIP dollars. If the family of an uninsured child has a small savings account or a certain type of vehicle they don't qualify. For example, if you're the owner of a 1996 Chevy pick up truck with less than 140,000 miles you may not pass mustered with Texas when it comes to getting health dollars for your uninsured child.

Currently, there is a 90 day waiting period for CHIP which denies health care to newborns, injured and seriously ill children. If this waiting period were eliminated said Ms. Best, chronically ill uninsured children could receive medical care immediately. Unfortunately it's too late Devante.

"We need to go to the next level and provide health care for all of our children," said Ms. Best. For more information contact Children's Defense Fund at 713-664-4080 or go to their website at http://www.cdftexas.org. Ms. Best can be contacted at bbest@childrensdefense.org.

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