Former Vermont Governor Madeline Kunin Campaigns for Kerry-Edwards

Kunin Discusses Kerry-Edwards Plan to Cover Every Child with Health Care

CLAREMONT, NH – Former Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin highlighted the Kerry-Edwards plan to cover every child with health care at a Good Beginnings resource center today in Claremont.

«John Kerry and John Edwards will cover all children and millions more adults under their plan to lower health care costs,» said Madeleine Kunin. «John Kerry has a lifelong record of fighting for children's health care. George Bush doesn't have a plan or a record to talk about. New Hampshire's working families and children deserve a leader who will fight for them every day, not one that hides behind misleading rhetoric.»

By extending state-based programs, the Kerry-Edwards plan will pick up the full cost of coverage for the more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In exchange, states would expand coverage for families up to 200 percent of poverty and for childless adults up to 100 percent of poverty. As a result, the Kerry-Edwards plan will extend reliable coverage to 26.7 million Americans who are currently uninsured, 95 percent of all Americans, and every child.

As Governor of Vermont, Kunin won the battle and signed into law the state-funded program, Dr. Dinosaur, that ensured health care coverage for every child in Vermont under the age of six. The program expanded over the years and included thousands more children. Today, Vermont enjoys the lowest rate of uninsured children in the country.

«John Kerry has the strength and the determination to get the job done,» said Kunin. «Kerry has made providing every child with health care a top priority throughout his career and he will not rest as President until the job is done.»

As a United State Senator, John Kerry fought for the creation of S-CHIP and to expand health coverage for children. John Kerry was there at the beginning
of the fight to insure America's children and he worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the largest investment in children's health care since
Medicaid.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program provides funding to cover 5 million children. In New Hampshire roughly 6,500 children are enrolled in the
S-CHIP program. In 2000, John Kerry supported an additional $11 billion in funding to expand Medicaid and S-CHIP coverage over the next five years.

Additionally, Kerry voted to allow states to expand coverage under the Medicaid and S-CHIP to the parents of the children enrolled in the program. The
health care crisis in this country is getting worse by the day. Health care costs have skyrocketed while Bush has been in office and he has done nothing
to address the problem.

John Kerry and John Edwards believe that all American families are entitled to the security and peace of mind that comes from knowing their families
have the coverage they need to stay healthy – without breaking the bank.

Good Beginnings of Sullivan County is a private non-profit primary prevention program serving new families. It is one of eight Good Beginnings programs
in Vermont and New Hampshire. The program was initiated in Sullivan County in 1992 based on a model started in the Upper Valley. All of the Good Beginnings programs operate in a slightly different way based on the needs and resources in the communities served by the program. Some Good Beginnings programs are independent non-profit organizations and some are under the umbrella of a larger organization.

Each Good Beginnings program is funded locally with a variety of grants and each program offers a slightly different menu of services depending on the needs of the community and the available funding. However, every Good Beginnings program includes a volunteer home visitor program that trains experienced mothers to be mentors to new parents.