Cover children and reassure them before covering yourself.
President Bush and Congressional Republicans say that covering adults, including parents, violates the purpose of the program, which is to cover children.
Several states are simply expanding their SCHIP schemes to cover children higher up the income scale.
All states participating in Medicaid must cover children and pregnant women within certain family income guidelines.
It will rise to cover children under 12 in subsequent years.
Also, parents can continue to cover children through age 25 on their family policies.
The requirement applies to insurance plans that cover children as dependents.
He said the bills would cover children from middle-income families and "crowd out" private insurance.
Administration officials said the program allowed states to cover children under age 19.
States may not use the new federal money to cover children eligible for Medicaid.
About 18 states cover children with family incomes above that level.
