Oct. 13--Among many troubling concerns dealing with money these days, focus cannot stray from an El Paso tragedy -- so many here lack health insurance.

Some three in 10 El Pasoans younger than 65 are uninsured. It's even worse in the 18-64 age range where 36.6 percent lack health coverage. That's according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau through 2005.

Not only does this situation affect those not covered -- they don't get preventive-type care -- but it affects the taxpayers, who must foot the bill for those treated at county Thomason Hospital due to indigent status or because they choose not to purchase health insurance.

By law, Thomason cannot refuse to provide proper care for a person who shows up at its door, and if that person is unable to pay, taxpayers pick up the bill.

Of note is a strong focus at Thomason now where more extensive background checks are made on patients.

More than before are being dunned because of assets they may have been hiding. That's according to Thomason CEO Jim Valenti. It's one reason Thomason has not been a money loser for several quarters now.

What to do?

State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, has been a leader in fighting to improve the Children's Health Insurance Program in Texas -- in some cases trying to keep funding from being cut. CHIP was drastically cut in 2003. There has been confusion on enrollment procedures, meaning some eligible children were not signed up by their parents or guardians.

CHIP must be

maintained at a proper level of funding.

Because adults have no such program, it's imperative Texas find ways, as State Rep. Chente Quintanilla echoed last week, to "make primary care more assessable."

He said, "I don't advocate socialized medicine, but we must make it more affordable."

Meanwhile presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have outlined ambitious plans to tackle the problem.

Just campaign talk?

Fixing health care goes back several presidents.

Ability to afford health care remains a critical problem in this county. And El Paso continues to be hit hard.

States and the federal government must accept this challenge, tackle it with actions instead of words, and fix this major problem in America.

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