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DEL.ICIO.USSucking it up in suburbia: The Republican side of PeachCare
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Republican governor jetted up to Washington. He’s written letters and made phone calls willy-nilly, reaching as high as the White House.
The Republican lieutenant governor ordered up a task force. Republican lawmakers talk not only of saving the expensive program, but expanding it. They have embraced Democrats as brothers and sisters in the effort.
And when a Georgia Republican congressman broke ranks and said that overspending was the issue, he was taken to the woodshed, privately and publicly.
The topic, of course, is PeachCare, the imperiled state-federal health insurance program for 273,000 children of the working poor in Georgia. A federal $131 million shortfall has already sent bureaucrats into lockdown mode. No new kids will be added after March 11.
All their efforts have been for the children - red and yellow, black and white, Republicans say. And it would be wrong to doubt that all are precious in their sight.
But it would be just as wrong to ignore a case of man-bites-dog. And the sight of Republicans fighting tooth-and-nail for a federal social program fits that description.
The reason is simple, though it’s usually left unspoken. PeachCare is a program that serves a Republican audience trapped on the unforgiving side of suburban life - the convenience store worker, the discount store clerk, the preacher, whose employers can’t or won’t offer family health insurance.
Think NASCAR moms and NASCAR dads. People too rich for Medicaid, but too poor for Aetna.
By far, Gwinnett is home to more PeachCare kids - 32,000 - than any other county in the state. Cobb County, another Republican bastion, comes in a distant second.
“These are working families in Georgia. Working, paying taxes, obeying the law,” House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) told reporters last week. “Candidly, most of the members of PeachCare live in Republican congressional districts. These are my voters.”
Specifically, more than one quarter of all PeachCare kids live in the largely suburban districts of U.S. Rep. John Linder, to the northeast, and U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, to the northwest.
PeachCare officials declined to offer any explanation for their program’s suburban concentration. Educated theories at the state Capitol focused on the squeeze created by high cost of housing and transportation in metro Atlanta.
Right now, PeachCare families can earn up to 235 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s $48,000 for a family of four. But take out rent or mortage, a monthly car payment plus food - and health insurance can quickly be reduced to an asprin and a pair of crossed fingers.
The PeachCare crisis has set off an already heated debate between Republicans who put a priority on fiscal restraint, and those who say that the GOP ignores at its peril an issue that’s reaching ever deeper into middle-class ranks.
“Georgia knew three years ago how much money they were going to get, knew the funding formula, and they overspent,” said U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Sharpsburg.
Said U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal of Hall County: “Sometimes you get into situations where you start looking at the federal government for everything.”
Keen, the House majority leader conservative enough that he once served as leader of the Georgia Christian Coalition, called the comments “disappointing.”
On Friday, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle spoke of a day, after the current situation is resolved, when Georgia’s program might be expanded to cover more children. The Illinois version, through higher premiums, covers kids in families with a combined income of $80,000, he said.
But in the meantime, cuts are in store for PeachCare. A bill introduced in the House would limit benefits to families hovering at 200 percent over the poverty line. More than 30,000 kids would be stripped of their coverage.
Speaker Glenn Richardson introduced the measure himself, an indication that he knows that the move - regardless of the necessity - could prove risky to his Republican team come the next Election Day.
Richardson lives in Paulding County, which ranks 9th of 159 Georgia counties in terms of PeachCare kids served.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By diane
February 11, 2007 7:32 PM | Link to this
and the pot thickness…. isnt that the saying? A family of four earning 48,000 is entitled to Peachcare. If the employee’s employer provides insurance, can they still choose Peachcare over employer’s insurance? I naively thought that Peachcare was available to people who didnt have insurance like a part time worker at a convenience store, Wal-mart, etc. A teacher with 3 kids could fall in the 235 percent above poverty level category.
By Brian
February 11, 2007 9:36 PM | Link to this
WHEN EVERYBODY IS CALLING FOR USING GEORGIA LOTTERY FUNDS (HOPE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS) FOR PEACHCARE, HOW COINCIDENTAL IS IT THAT Senate Resolution 125, which would limit lottery spending to the HOPE scholarship and grant program and to pre-k, was unanimously passed out of the Higher Education Committee today? * YOU REPUBLICANS AREN’T FOOLING ANYONE!Republicans vote for Resolution 125 at their peril!AND, I AM WATHCING YOU TOO TOM PRICE!*
By Brian
February 11, 2007 9:41 PM | Link to this
JUST TRY AND COVER YOUR CONSERVATIVE ASSES WITH COLUMNS LIKE THIS! IF PEACHCARE DIES, SO DOES EVERY REPUBLICAN SEAT IN GEORGIA IN THE NEXT ELECTION. GUARANTEED!
By Michelle
February 11, 2007 9:49 PM | Link to this
Brian - You are right! Georgia Lottery funds are the solution! Republican’s know this and they are trying to protect their voter base with passing Resolution 125. They know that the RICH always have their handout to get Hope Scholarship funds when they could easily afford college for their kids. The RICH don’t care that 21% of Georgia’s kids live below the poverty line of $19K a year.
By I am watching too!
February 11, 2007 9:57 PM | Link to this
Right on Brian! I’ll be watching both Peachcare and Resolution 125. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! I don’t even know who my Senator and Congressman are, but I’ll make sure to find out and watch how they vote. I won’t tolerate watching rich kids get a handout for Hope Scholarships and then watch their rich Republican parents turn around and pressure State Legislators to eliminate a healthcare program for children. It is for children! How can they sleep at night?!
By Who wrote this column?
February 11, 2007 10:06 PM | Link to this
This column is soooo transparent! It is simply an insulting attempt by the Republican media to try and act like they are doing their best to save Peachcare. Bravo Brian! Georgia Lottery Funds are the answer! Republicans are trying to vote for Resolution 125 quickly so they can take these HOPE Scholarship funds out of the equation. I know why you can’t find any writer’s name on this column; no self-respecting journalist would print it!
By WRITE MY SIGN!
February 11, 2007 10:11 PM | Link to this
I live on the corner of a VERY busy intersection near downtown Alpharetta. Every voting season I get requests from Republicans to put their signs up in my yard. If Peachcare goes under, I want to put up a HUGE sign pointing the finger at whoever (Republican and/or Democrat) killed this program. Any suggestions on what I should write?
By Write this!
February 11, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
Rich kids go to school so Poor kids can go without healthcare.
By SAY IT LOUD!
February 11, 2007 10:18 PM | Link to this
LOTTERY FUNDS FOR PEACHARE!! LOTTERY FUNDS FOR PEACHCARE!! LOTTERY FUNDS FOR PEACHCARE!!
By Resolution 125
February 11, 2007 10:27 PM | Link to this
My Family’s take home income is over $100,000 a year, but My Kid has a “B” average. Since that’s what He needs to qualify for the Hope Scholarship, He deserves an education much more than some poor kid deserves healthcare. Protect Resolution 125 for good students! A family of four can easily live on $47,000 a year! After taxes that is more than $30,000/year or $7,500/per poor person. I am tired of the poor always complaining.
By I am RICH
February 11, 2007 11:21 PM | Link to this
I am RICH, but some kids in my kid’s school are POOR. Since these kids have POOR parents, and since POOR parents can’t afford to take off work when their kids get sick, I guess that means that these POOR sick kids will get sent to school sick. I don’t want some POOR sick kid giving my kid the FLU, LICE, PINKEYE, or some other affliction. Eventhough I hate to give the POOR, even the working POOR anything, I guess they should be able to get access to some ANTIBIOTICS for less than $450 a month. **I SAY GIVE THE POOR HEALTHCARE TO KEEP MY RICH KID FROM GETTING THESE “POOR” ILLNESSES!”
By What would Jesus do?
February 11, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this
What would Jesus do? Would he spend $300 billion in Iraq? Would he give money from gambling to college students attending Georgia schools to learn about Evolution? Or, would Jesus give money to Healthcare programs for children? Jesus hates people who deny children healthcare. Vote against healthcare and you will go to…well let’s just say you “one hour a week Christians” won’t be going to heaven.
By RJ
February 12, 2007 12:05 AM | Link to this
Recently, President Bush finally acknowledged “that income inequality is real.” In the face of this acknowledgement he recently submitted a budget destined to make income inequality much worse. His budget is a collection of artificial numbers which includes cuts in domestic programs that he knows the now Democratically controlled Congress will inevitably reverse.
The most shameful part of President Bush’s recently submitted budget is the poorly disguised reduction in Peachcare. He proposes an increase in funding of $4.2 billion over five years that has the practical effect of cutting into the number of kids who are covered.
Looks like Speaker Richardson also believes passionately in redistributing income - upward.
By monteal
February 12, 2007 7:12 AM | Link to this
I think I’d much rather have the cost go up a little than to remove people from this program.or maybe have the rates differ for those ubove a certian income the only family I know of that have peach care is a friend of mine her husband has a decent job but the has had a liver transplant and all there funds were going to that and they were having problems getting there 2 kids to the docter especially for well care visits. I know that this was a majer relif to them to know it was taken care of. he had insurance avalable through his work but peachcare was much cheaper
By Bill
February 12, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this
I propose that SB 137 be amended to double Georgia’s Alcohol Beverage Tax (User Fee) to $312MM and use the extra $156MM to fund PeachCare. I doubt it will happen because one of the House’ Senior Leaders e-mailed me calling PeachCare “Hillaryesque socialized medicine”. So there it sits, The General Assembly’s majority party is playing partisan politics with kids health insurance. Read Perdue’s comments to a Senate Sub-committee in Washington D.C. (two weeks ago) - his actions since do not even come close to his words.
By I agree with Bill
February 12, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
If Peachcare is “Hillaryesque Socialized Medicine”, then is the Hope Scholarship “Hillaryesque Socialized Education”? Republicans have no problem receiving a handout like the Hope Scholarship, but when it comes to helping some poor child get healthcare asssistance all of a sudden it’s UnAmerican. This starting to tick me off. I wish the AJC would write a story about some of the suggestions made here and maybe some solution will pick up steam. Republicans are acting like their hands are tied and that is just a lie!
By bill
February 12, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this
A bi-partisan group of Representatives are proposing a reasonable alternative to PeachCare via HB 324. This bill deserves a full public hearing. Not to be cynical though, watch how fast Speaker Richardson’s HB 340 sails through the House. I pray LtGov. Cagle has the moral leadership to stop HB 340 and give thoughtful legislative alternatives, such as HB 324, a proper and public review.
By Need to Vote!
February 12, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this
Without a vote we won’t have any ammunition to hold politicians accountable for the death of Peachcare. Inaction is what these politicians want. A vote against Peachcare is going to be political suicide in the next election.
By Bold and CAPS
February 12, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this
LET’S ALL YELL AND POST IN CAPS, SINCE MY INFO IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND HAS NEVER BEEN THOUGHT OF BEFORE, LET ME BOLD IT AS WELL. THAT WILL MAKE ME FEEL THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
Wake up and post something meaningful people.
Comments: - The “really” poor people get medicaid, it is those in the middle that get squeezed.
- If people are eligible for insurance (such as teachers) they cannot get Peachcare - For those who are not “really” poor there are options out there for insurance that are NOT $1000 per month, etc. - It is amazing how many people are not “really” poor have flat screen TVs