Eaves provided details of his plan, Kid Care, to The Clarion-Ledger last week. Modeled after an Illinois program, it seeks to offer affordable coverage for children whose families earn too much to qualify for state and federal help but not enough to afford private insurance.
It is the most detailed policy proposal to come from either Eaves or Republican Gov. Haley Barbour this election season. They face off in the Nov. 6 general election.
Barbour appears to be running a campaign based on perceived inevitability. He takes the postion that of course the folks will support him and has staked out no new positions for a new term nor has he made any promises.
Most advocacy groups unfamiliar with Eaves' health care plan held off on predicting whether it would work, while others questioned its feasibility. But they and political watchers gave Eaves high marks for raising the issue.Eaves has a rare passion for helping people and believes that what has often been an empty campaign slogan "Mississippi Can Do Better."
"A candidate addressing a real, identified health need in Mississippi is rare," said Roy Mitchell, director of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program.
Eaves' plan mirrors "All Kids," a program Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich successfully pushed through that state's Democratic-controlled Legislature in less than a year.
Launched in 2006, the program builds on Illinois' Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program but is funded solely by the state. Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington have created similar programs based on Illinois' plan.
Like that plan, Eaves' proposal allows families to purchase coverage on a sliding income basis. A family of four that earns $50,000 a year would pay a monthly premium of $40 per child and a maximum annual co-pay of $100. A single parent earning $34,000 also would fall into that category. For two or more children, the maximum monthly premium would be $80.
We don't have to be last this time. We can lead with Pennsylvania and Washington state to insure all our children. John Eaves can take us there. Haley Barbour who has a clear history of dismantling public health programs simply won't.
