Jacksonville, Florida health insurance * Letters from our readers

Jacksonville, Florida health insurance examination continues

Letters from readers......

Every candidate of this years presidential election seems to be offering a program for Universal Health Care. Why does that seem to be the main topic of this years campaign?

The latest report from the Census Bureau said that 16 percent of Americans do not have health care coverage, which means that 84 percent do.

But, the report also stated that the 45 percent of "Americans" who do not have coverage are "noncitizens," i.e., not Americans.

So, actually, about 91 percent of Americans have health care coverage. Of the remaining 9 percent, the report stated that most are young people who choose not to have coverage. Where's the crisis?

Our politicians should be focusing on a plan that will cover the small number of uninsured Americans who want coverage but can't afford it. They should not try to create a new government-run program that we will all be forced to participate in at tremendous expense.

SCOTT SANBORN

Orange Park, Florida health insurance

HEALTH INSURANCE

Program can cover children

If the federal State Children's Health Insurance Program is allowed to end, 250,000 children in Florida are at risk of losing health insurance on Sept. 30.

With bipartisan support, a House-Senate compromise has been reached that will extend the program for the next five years, and expand coverage to 3.3 million more children than are currently insured.

However, the president has stated he will veto any legislation that calls for expanded coverage for America's children.

Since 1997, SCHIP has successfully provided health insurance to millions of U.S. children. Today, nearly 7 million American children are insured through the program.

Even with passage of the Senate-House compromise, 4 million American children will remain uninsured.

With respect to Florida's SCHIP program, we have the worst record in the country for insuring our children; 550,000 of our children are uninsured.

Legislative and administrative barriers to eligibility and enrollment have resulted in a 50 percent decrease in the number of our children receiving health insurance.

We have sent hundreds of millions of our dollars back to Washington - money that has been used to insure children in other states.

If the Bush administration's plan is enacted, it will have a compounding impact on our children, as federal funding would be capped at the amount we are currently spending.

Please contact your federal legislators immediately to let them know if you support expanding health insurance coverage to 3 million to 6 million more of our children or the Bush administration's plan to cap current coverage.

Also, please contact our state delegation, the Senate president and House speaker to let them know if you are satisfied with the current status of Florida's uninsured children. The president's plan will decrease these numbers even further.

JEFF GOLDHAGEN,

pediatrician,

Jacksonville

JEA

Don't approve bonuses

I have said many times that JEA needs to look at costs before raising rates.

JEA is spending over $6 million on advertising to inform us about how to conserve energy. Due to the cost, the majority of JEA customers conserve energy and water already.

Now we are being told that JEA is prepared to give out bonuses in the amount of $8 million to JEA employees for doing their job. Some of these bonuses will be paid to the same executives who cannot seem to contain costs.

An executive for JEA stated that the bonuses are one-half of the $16 million that JEA saved. Well, simple math tells you that $16 million plus $8 million is $24 million in savings.

In addition, JEA wants to add a 3 percent franchise fee to help the city. How much of that $8 million would go toward helping the city?

The bottom line is, the JEA board should not consider paying any bonuses when rate increases and fees are being added to JEA customers' utility bills. I hope the JEA board has the sense to not approve the bonus payouts and save the $8 million.

ANDY RUSNAK

Jacksonville

TRUANCY

All students need ID

Why is my child, who attends a public school, required to carry a photo ID but home-schooled students do not?

I am a security professional. It just seems to make all jobs harder, because if children or teenagers are in a business during school hours, they claim they are home-schooled and it is hard to disprove.

I am not picking on the home-school program. I am trying to protect it from truant students who attempt to abuse it.

I think photo identification from the School Board, with emergency contact information, would greatly eliminate wasted time by truant officers and businesses trying to stop truancy by having to verify a student's status.

If the School Board wants to help curb truancy, then please help those trying to stop truancy by allowing them to easily identify home-schooled students. Stop those truant students who try to abuse the program.

SHEILA DOYLE

Jacksonville