Editor:

It was disheartening to read U.S. Sens. Enzi's and Barrasso's commentaries in the Casper Journal and Star-Tribune attempting to justify their "no" vote on the SCHIP bill, State Children's Health Insurance Program. Their spin attempted to make the bill appear as if it was not good for Wyoming. Not true.

The original legislation passed in 1997 was to assist children who did not qualify for Medicaid (poor children) but whose parents were struggling to pay insurance premiums. These parents' only alternative was to use emergency rooms as their primary care doctors. An extremely costly method for taxpayers and those who do have insurance, as the cost is passed on to them.

The purpose of the original legislation was encourage preventative health care rather than the more costly catastrophic care. This approach proved very successful and encouraged Congress to pass a bipartisan bill for expansion so that it could reach additional non-insured children.

Our senators have framed this as a partisan issue, which is untrue. One of the most vocal supporters and bill sponsors is Republican U.S. Sen. Hatch of Utah. This bill is a compromise bill negotiated in a nonpartisan conference committee between the House and Senate.

The funds come to the states in block grants. If states such as New Jersey or New York, as the senators demagogue in their claims, want to add state money to their federal funds to cover more children, then that should be their prerogative. We can and do the same in Wyoming.

The block grant to states is also not socialized medicine. In Wyoming and in the majority of other states, the programs contract with private insurance companies.

Our senators should consider: 12 percent of American children do not have any insurance coverage at all. One in five U.S. jobs do not provide health insurance, a pension, or wages high enough to support a family. For a family of four, one year of health insurance costs an average of $11,000. Over one-half of all bankruptcy filings in 2001 were a result of medical expenses.

Wyoming needs people in Congress who can think for themselves. Although U.S. Rep. Cubin was absent and did not vote on the bill, I urge everyone to contact her, Sens. Enzi and Barrasso to request that they vote to override the president's veto.

JOAN BANGEN, Casper