Newsflash: Free Stuff is "Earned" (when it comes from the government)
Nathan Greene
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By Emily Geiger
So , I was watching TV yesterday, not really paying much attention, when all of the sudden, one line from an announcer grabbed my attention.
It was an ad for Hawk-I, Iowa’s low-cost or free health insurance plan for kids who come from low income families. The ad basically explained what the program was and how to get more information, but then came the kicker. The very last thing the announcer said was, “Hawk-I… You’ve earned it.”
Huh? Since when do you “earn” free crap from the government? That’s the whole point, isn’t it? They haven’t earned it, but we’re giving it to them anyways. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that this program is necessarily a bad thing (though I do think the expansion of it to higher income families is bad… if you make $62,000 a year, you ought to be able to budget and buy your own insurance). But let’s be honest. This is not something that’s earned. It’s something we give away because we’re so darn nice.
And then I got to thinking about how I hate ads for government programs in general. Isn’t there a more cost effective way of letting people know about this program… maybe send a note home with school kids? Or heck, send a note home with the baby from the hospital explaining the free program.
And then I saw this today. In one of the few smart moves it made this session, the Legislature actually reduced the funding it gives DHS to advertise for the program. But here’s where it gets interesting. “Despite the recent barrage of ads” that have been running in recent months, enrollment in Hawk-I has remained at about 21,000 participants. SO THE ADS DON’T EVEN WORK.
In case you were losing hope that anyone at DHS had any brain cells firing, they have come up with a new method of identifying kids potentially eligible for the program. The legislature approved adding a box you can check to your state tax form to identify whether you have children without health insurance. Since the forms also contain the family’s income level, this gives the state a good idea as to whether a particular family is eligible, and the state will contact those who check the box.
The bad news is that, despite the advertising budget cuts, DHS still has over a half million dollars to spend on advertising that doesn’t work. Think about that next time you get your paycheck and look at how much state taxes are taken.
Doesn’t it make you feel warm and fuzzy all over?
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