Medicaid (was RE: Walzer on the Left)

[Max Sawicky]

My misgivings w/a constitutional amendment is that it
distracts from real, important, and ongoing battles that
I think can be won.  I mean the push to expand Medicaid,
provide prescription drug benefits, and fully fund
the State Childrens Health Insurance Program. As
I mentioned, for all the inadequacies of the present
system, it has markedly advanced in the past, in
contrast to many other areas of social need.

As you know, one can have rights to benefits without
benefit of a constitutional amendment, and one can
have an amendment but no effective rights.

mbs

 
> There is no constitutional right to healthcare -
>   Acting as an apologist for the current system, Everett Koop reminded 
> an audience recently of that fact.  He said the Bill of Rights does 
> not provide for such a thing and nor was it meant to in his opinion..
> More people, however, are thinking that health care should be a right.
> What about fighting for a constitutional amendment to that effect. 
> That may be the ONLY way to see to it that we get decent health care.
> marta
>