Gov. Charlie Crist's healthcare views at odds :MARC CAPUTO

While Gov. Charlie Crist opposes Democratic plans for more government-run healthcare, his administration Thursday boasted about the success of a government-run, taxpayer-subsidized state health program for children.

In just two months, about 50,000 previously uninsured children have signed up for the KidCare program, thanks partly to laws the Republican governor signed this summer to increase enrollment.

``Obviously, healthcare has become a major topic of discussion throughout this country,'' Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp said at a Thursday press conference, ``and it provides us an opportunity to really highlight one of the shining examples for the country in our KidCare program.''

KIDS ARE DIFFERENT

But after the speech, Kottkamp and Crist said that KidCare shouldn't be held up as an example for how to provide insurance for all citizens.

Kottkamp said children's health insurance is a ``different discussion'' than health insurance for all. Crist, asked to reconcile the apparent contradiction over his healthcare stance, would only say: ``Shouldn't we always be sympathetic to children?''

Crist has offered a private-sector alternative to the congressional Democrats' plan. Under the plan, called Cover Florida, people can buy insurance that costs less because it covers less. Democrats in Congress and the White House say a government-run plan is better because it would compete with private insurers and cap skyrocketing rates.

One of Crist's Democratic rivals for the U.S. Senate, Miami Rep. Kendrick Meek, bashed Crist and Cover Florida. Meek noted on Thursday that while slightly more than 3,700 people have signed up for Cover Florida this year, an estimated 3,560 Floridians lose insurance every week.

``We have seen the hypocrisy of leadership in the state of Florida, just doing enough to say healthcare insurance is provided,'' Meek said, noting that Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured children in the nation. Overall, about one in five Floridians is uninsured.

Meek made his comments during a conference call hosted by the liberal advocacy group Families USA, which released a study showing that, since 2000, average insurance premiums rose 98 percent to $13,497 a year. But in that time, the median income of Floridians rose just 27 percent to $28,836 a year.

COUNTER-OFFENSIVE

The conference call was part of a counter-offensive launched by supporters of the health reforms pushed by Democrats in Congress, many of whom seemed overwhelmed by the vehemence of opposition from conservative critics at town hall meetings.

Also on Thursday, Democrats rallied at Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson's office, and President Barack Obama's senior advisor, David Axelrod, e-mailed millions of supporters a list of talking points.

At Thursday's press conference, Tallahassee mom Leah McCarthy spoke glowingly of KidCare, which serves about 1.6 million children.

McCarthy said she appreciated KidCare because ``it's not like an insurance company because of the way they relate to their clients. You don't have to fight for anything. I mean that in the best possible way. They are comprehensively wonderful and there for you.''

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