WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator John Kerry made the following statement this evening, after the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for children of low-income, working American families. The final bill included two Kerry amendments, one to help enroll SCHIP-eligible children of small business employees and another to ensure that children in need of mental health treatment are not penalized under the program.

 
“President Bush has a choice to make, between health care for kids or pandering to right wing ideologues. Democrats and Republicans came together to put the health and safety of American children ahead of politics and ideology. President Bush should drop his ill-conceived veto threat and do right by our nation’s children by giving them health care.”

 
The following Kerry amendments were added to the final bill:

 
Mental Health Parity: The Kerry amendment achieves mental health parity for children enrolled in SCHIP.  Currently, discriminatory limits on mental health care are one of the main reasons that low-income children are unable to get necessary mental health services.  Kerry’s provision will make the coverage of mental health services equal to that of any other medical services.

 
Enrolling Qualified Kids: The Kerry amendment creates a task force to enroll eligible children of small business employees and the self-employed in SCHIP. A recent Urban Institute study found that one out of every four SCHIP eligible children with parents who work for a small business or are self employed, are not enrolled. These children are missing the coverage they deserve at more than twice the rate of eligible children whose parents work for large businesses.

###