This letter to the editors of Projo says it boldly and clearly. 1.) It is morally wrong to neglect the health care of children. 2.) The consequences of doing so can be disastrous for the child and family. 3.) The financial costs of doing so will outstrip any savings in “getting them off our books” in this year’s budget.

Finally, on that last point: when the uninsured are hospitalized, ultimately the lion’s share of that cost is usually passed on to the state. If these patients are insured, their care is managed and the costs of their services are negotiated and are often substantially less than the price the hospital bills. In other words, if a child needs to be hospitalized because of an asthma attack (because he wasn’t getting treatment because he was uninsured) if that child has RIte Care, the hospital gets paid a negotiated price of, say, $1,000 a day. (I’m just making up figures to illustrate the point.) If that child is uninsured, the hospital can bill for its full rate, which might be $2,000 a day or more. In effect, Carcieri’s proposal could cause hospitals to request even more funding from the state to cover the costs of this added population of uninsured patients.

There is no good reason to remove undocumented children from the state-sponsored healthcare system. Here is the letter from Projo:

Taxpayers have a duty to help these children

01:00 AM EST on Friday, March 10, 2006

Governor Carcieri’s proposal to balance the state budget by discontinuing health coverage to 3,000 children who are illegal immigrants is simply appalling. Is this really who we are as a nation? Have we really decided that we are not our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper to such an extent that we are willing to abandon 3,000 children from low-income families who live in our midst?

The 3,000 children whose health care would be discontinued are already leading the most difficult, least privileged lives in our state. Rather than condemning them to a childhood without health care (and condemning society to the long-term costs of that neglect), we should be doing all we can to raise them as healthy and productive members of our community.

In reference to these children, the governor says: “We can’t take care of the world’s problems.” Perhaps not, but we can take care of 3,000 children. If, as a community, we refuse to do so, then shame on us all.

The governor’s proposal is both foolish and cruel. Its rejection will be a strong affirmation of the family and community values that represent the best of the American spirit.

CAROL LEWIS, M.D.

The Rev. MICHAEL COBURN

Providence