State politics gives Wayne County kids the finger

[jt1]

I understand partisan politics but it is getting absurd in Lansing these days:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2014304170141

■Expanding the Healthy Kids Dental program to Macomb and Kalamazoo counties at a cost of $15.6 million. Amendments sponsored by Democrats to extend the program to Kent and Wayne counties failed.

How is something like this only done for certain counties as opposed to it being a statewide program?

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Although I staunchly oppose having the state pay for anyone's dental care [[not trying to start that debate here and now), it is absurd that the state would grant benefits to residents of one county and not the next. A few possible reasons: Wayne and Kent [[Grand Rapids) would have more possible enrollees than the program can afford; also, there may be issues of local governmental policy involved. Some aid is pegged to actions taken by municipalities. But it does sound stupid.

[jt1]

Although I staunchly oppose having the state pay for anyone's dental care [[not trying to start that debate here and now), it is absurd that the state would grant benefits to residents of one county and not the next. A few possible reasons: Wayne and Kent [[Grand Rapids) would have more possible enrollees than the program can afford; also, there may be issues of local governmental policy involved. Some aid is pegged to actions taken by municipalities. But it does sound stupid.

Given Lansing's recent actions I am sure it is allocated to either red counties or blue counties they think they can swing red if they throw enough state dollars at them.

[Wesley Mouch]

Although I staunchly oppose having the state pay for anyone's dental care [[not trying to start that debate here and now), it is absurd that the state would grant benefits to residents of one county and not the next. A few possible reasons: Wayne and Kent [[Grand Rapids) would have more possible enrollees than the program can afford; also, there may be issues of local governmental policy involved. Some aid is pegged to actions taken by municipalities. But it does sound stupid.

Mikey, I am a staunch libertarian and generally oppose this type of program -- but I have a soft spot for dental care.

Unlike medical care, dental care is a pretty well-defined -- almost a commodity. BASIC dental care is reasonably priced, and the results are universally good.

Providing BASIC dental helps maintain public health -- and reduces medical costs.

Now I know this argument can be taken as support for social medical. And on the level of basic medical, I actually agree. I think we should abandon the idea of universal, comprehensive coverage -- but implement universal basic coverage. Doctor's visits, blood testing, vaccinations and the like. And leave the bigger issues uncovered -- at least for now. Get a good system running that handles 90% of medical interactions between citizen and medicine but probably accounts for 5% of the costs. We screw things up when we try to be all things to all people. Mandated birth control is the best example of overreach.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I don't like the idea of the government guaranteeing any actual things to anyone. For one, it creates an unhealthy sense of being entitled to things on the receiver's part [[and it doesn't matter if we're talking welfare, energy subsidies, medicare/medicaid, etc). Two, the power of the state should not make anyone get up and go to work to support other people. It's a perverse, modern indentured servitude. Not as bad as slavery, of course; but not as free as making your own way in the world, either. Don't forget, there are places and tax brackets in this country where about half of your income is taken by the government, even before sales, property or estate taxes are factored in. Lastly, the government has generally been a terrible administrator of benefits of all kinds, particularly health care. Note our notoriously expensive yet terrible VA medical care system. Or the actuarily fictional medicaid and medicare systems, with billing fraud so pervasive that it is de facto allowed.

I have thought for a long time that cities [[or counties in more rural areas) should help guarantee very, very basic health care services by establishing clinics that vaccinate, provide general "urgent care" service, do annual physicals, etc. Basic dental services [[annual cleaning, fillings, etc) could be attached. They could, in part, be staffed by new or in-training medical staff, who work for a fixed period to pay off school loans. It would guarantee a low, but real, basic level of care without anyone having to pay. People would have incentive to still pursue insurance and private sector care, because no doubt such care would be better and have shorter lines. But the bare medical necessities [[perhaps with special units for pregnant women, diabetics, HIV+ people, etc) would be provided, funded by the current money going to medicaid. No insurance, no billing. Kind of like a medical food pantry: better than starving, but not as nice as you'll get if you're picking up the tab yourself.