As Wonks Anonymous hears things our friends in the Republican Party are opposed to the current legislation that extends and funds the State Children's Health Insurance Program because it will take customers away from private health insurers.

And Wonks Anonymous can testify that this is true. He knows a child who is on SCHIP. A lovely little girl with two professional parents who are making payments on a house. These people used to have private high deductible - $8,000 for a family of four - coverage. Good all American coverage that encouraged self reliance and provided profits for an insurance company and commissions for a fine insurance broker.

Then their daughter turned out to have diabetes and, while they were sorting that out, they were out $8,000 and wondering how they could make their house payments. Plus they had a fine future ahead of them with higher deductibles and probably higher premiums. Because diabetics get sick and, anyway they need to see doctors regularly. That's just not what our fine health insurers signed up to deal with. Thank you.

Now they probably could still make the payments on a private health plan if they had sold the house and moved to a two bedroom apartment in the seedier part of town. Instead someone at our local Children's Hospital told them about SCHIP and helped them get into the program. They kept their house, yard and dog.

What a waste! No profits for the insurance industry and no character building for the child or her parents or her little brother.