Gov. Haley Barbour is frustrated about what he suspects is an attempt by Democrats in Congress to incrementally create a national, single-payer health-care system under the management and control of the federal government.

Well, he need not have any doubts. That is exactly what many in Washington who design health-care programs want. And they’ll nudge the nation in that direction by any means necessary.

Legislation Barbour talked about last week — and has testified about — is known as S-CHIP. The “S” stands for states, because they are involved. The rest is Children’s Health Insurance Program.

S-CHIP is not new. It has been around nearly 20 years.

It was created to address a real need, one that exists today for families of moderate means. Medicaid is available to families where household income is below the federal poverty level, and half of all children in Mississippi are enrolled. S-CHIP is for the next tier — children in families up to 200 percent of the poverty level. These families might be able to buy private health policies, but if they did they couldn’t pay mortgages, rent or provide food.

Revisions vetoed by former President George Bush but now being advanced again by larger Democratic majorities in the House and Senate would expand S-CHIP eligibility from today’s 7.6 million children to more than 10 million by raising the income threshold under which families could enroll.

Particularly offensive to Barbour is that in “expensive” states such as New York and New Jersey, the bar would be set at 400 percent of the federal poverty level — or about $88,000 for a family of four. In Mississippi, Barbour said, the same families making $45,000 would not qualify.

Further, he said, Congress has never actually allocated Mississippi enough money to pay for the coverage of those who are already eligible under existing standards.

Mississippi is being shortchanged, Barbour says. It doesn’t make sense for Congress to take care of children in families higher on the income scale without first taking care of children in families lower on the income scale.

No arguing with that logic.

President Obama says he doesn’t favor a single, federal health-care payment system. He does want coverage expanded.

How programs will be altered under this administration is an unfolding story. Make no mistake, though. Those agitating for universal care do know an “all-at-once” transition is unlikely. They’ll work incrementally. And S-CHIP could fit very nicely into their strategy.