To follow up on the Frost Family story–via TPM, Jonathan Cohn writes an excellent story, decimating the right-wing arguments, laying it all out so that it is simple to understand. While the Frosts are not dirt poor, they are hardly well-off, and very much do need the S-CHIP program. They don’t just qualify, they also deserve it. He concludes thusly:

In other words, it’s not just the most destitute Americans who need assistance getting health insurance. It’s people who have jobs, make a decent living, and own their homes. And when medical crisis hits, they’re forced to take drastic steps — like selling their homes, depleting life savings, declaring bankruptcy, or simply going without the care they and their loved ones need. Unless, of course, the government provides them with insurance at affordable rates.

Maybe that’s why polls show large majorities of Americans supporting S-CHIP expansion and, increasingly, the creation of a universal health care system guaranteeing coverage as a birthright.

One piece of information Cohn brings up is that the right-wingers seem to have exaggerated the family’s assets–their home is valued at $260,000, not $450,000-plus. I would add that they also have a mortgage which is too high not to have been increased since they took out a bank loan 16 years ago on a $55,000 house–which means they had to have taken out more money against the house.

Nevertheless, Michelle Malkin, who seems to have forgotten that in 2004 she herself said Maryland’s insurance rates are too high, nonetheless criticized the Frosts for not getting a cheaper health plan; Cohn points out, however, that such plans often do not cover all the things the Frost children needed after the car accident. Still Malkin continues to insist that the Frosts are more than well-off enough not to need S-CHIP. Her evidence is the lack of evidence: she has not been handed proof that the Frosts aren’t paying $40,000 of their $45,000 income on private school for their other two kids, Mr. Frost has not agreed to “verify” his $45,000 income to Malkin’s content, and she has not seen documented proof that the Frost family started getting breaks on school tuition more than a year or two ago. Therefore, they are rich and are defrauding the state.

Malkin then criticizes Maryland for not asset-testing applicants. Apparently, Malkin, who herself reported that the Frosts at present are “struggling” financially, would have rather seen the Frosts sell off their home and/or their business in order to take care of their kids.

Charming.