re: LA Tax question and healthcare for the poor

quote:

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a spending plan that would end many of Louisiana's safety-net health programs and strip 80 percent of the financing for the beloved TOPS program that helps students pay for college.

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Just how the hell many do we have and how many do we actually need? There's LaChip for kids, Medicaid for kids and adults. I don't even understand why we need both of those. There are free or reduced fee clinics all over the state, 10 in Baton Rouge alone. There's Planned Parenthood/women's care, Council on Aging, SSI, SS disability. There's overlap all over the place.

As for TOPS, a good chunk of $ needed could be had by requiring repayment by kids who flunk out or drop out (unless due to health concerns) by year 2.