---

WASHINGTON, DC - As the deadline to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) approaches, the Bush Administration continues to play fast and loose with the facts on kids health despite the overwhelming success of the program. Energy and Commerce Committee Vice-Chairman Diana DeGette (D-CO) today challenged the Bush Administration to adequately fund this program and start putting the facts before politics on the issue of kids' health.

"President Bush uses his own twisted version of fiction by playing fast and loose with the facts when he talks about the state of the children's health care program," said U.S. Rep. DeGette. "The Bush Administration's rhetoric doesn't match its current policy. The facts speak for themselves: SCHIP has reduced the number of uninsured children since its creation 10 years ago. We must build upon its success, not simply put up a roadblock.

"I am mystified that the Bush Administration would oppose an expansion to this time-tested program created with bipartisan support - the Administration itself has repeatedly granted state SCHIP waivers to allow adult coverage. If President Bush chooses to veto the expansion of this program - a program his own Administration has supported - it is a terrible misjudgment," concluded DeGette.

---

Bush Fiction v. Fact: Setting the Record Straight on Children's Health

Democratic SCHIP Proposal Seeks to Cover Eligible Children who are currently Un-enrolled

FACT: The SCHIP program is currently designed to include children up to 200 percent of poverty.  The Democratic proposal would not make any changes to this policy.  It would simply provide the funds necessary to cover the 6 million children who are eligible, but not enrolled in the program.

Since coming into office, the Bush Administration has approved at least 15 waivers to allow coverage expansions for pregnant women, children above 200 percent of poverty, and parents [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, May 31, 2007].    The only "expansions" of SCHIP possible under the House proposal would be through that same waiver process.

BUSH FICTION: "The proposal would dramatically expand the Children's Health Insurance Program, adding nonpoor children to the program..." [Tony Fratto, New York Times, 7/15/07].

Democrats Help Families who Cannot Afford Individual Health Insurance Get Access to Care

FACT: Private insurance options are becoming increasingly less affordable as health care costs continue to skyrocket at higher rates than wages and employer -sponsored coverage program are declining. In, 2006, the average premium for family coverage in an employer-based plan was $11,480 per year, and the average family's share of the premium was $2,973 - about 11 percent of total income.

The President's argument that SCHIP encourages families to drop employer-sponsored insurance is false, according to study conducted by the Bush Administration's Department of Health and Human Services [TRIM3 Simulations of Full Year Uninsured Children and their Eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP, June 2007]. In fact, most children covered under SCHIP did not have access to coverage prior to joining the program; of the small minority who did most lost coverage due to a cost increase or parent's job change.

BUSH FICTION: "It's a way to encourage people to transfer from the private sector to government health-care plan ..." [President Bush, Washington Post, 7/15/07].

Bush Administration Risky Tax Proposal Jeopardizes the Health of Millions of Children

FACT: President Bush's SCHIP proposal would result in a reduction of 1.4 million children and pregnant women in the program over the next five years.  States would face an SCHIP budget shortfall of over $4.5 billion over that same period [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, March 13, 2007].  In contrast, President Bush's risky health care tax proposal would increase the federal deficit in 2009 by $61.8 billion, cause over 12 million workers and their dependents to lose employer-based coverage, and give most of the benefit to those making over $50,000 per year [The Lewin Group, Spring 2007].

Even Bush loyalists Senate Finance Ranking member Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called Bush's tax proposals "not realistic" [Washington Post and New York Times, 7/15/07].

BUSH FICTION: "The President has sought to revive his idea of replacing the long-standing tax break for job-based health insurance with a new deduction that would help people pay for insurance regardless of whether they get it through their jobs or on their own" [Washington Post, 7/15/07].

# # #