Is S Chip the Beginning of Socialized Medicine?

Karen Gatlin

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Congress recently enacted S Chip, a program that provides medical coverage for a large percentage of American children. The legisatlion had been vetoed by Former President Bush on two occasions. Critics claim that the costly program is simply a means of expanding government control of health care, easing America into a system of socialized medicine. Medicare provides medical coverage for persons over 65, and Medicaid covers the low income population. After expanding coverage of children, the next step would be creation of a program to cover the remaining population. Sen. Tom Daschle, proposed, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has proposed requiring coverage to all Americans as well as creating of a board to oversee medical decisions. Whether this board would limit the kind of medications or treatments available for a particular disease or medical condition remains to be seen. Should medical practitioners now worry that government will control many medical decisions? Should we?