The recently passed bill by a key Senate committee reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), will ensure health coverage to an additional 4 million lower-income kids over the next 4½ years, bringing the total to 11 million. The vote comes close on the heels of a similar measure being passed by the House a day earlier and opens the door for President-elect Barack Obama to sign the bill soon after taking office. The legislation passed easily 12-7 and a similar legislation passed the House Wednesday by an overwhelming margin, 289-139.

An objection was raised by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who said he was against states being given the option of covering children of legal immigrants through Medicaid and SCHIP and he also felt the legislation failed to include provisions from two years ago designed to keep higher-income families out of the program. "Immigrants coming to this country and their sponsors have been required to sign a contract that they will not seek public assistance for the first five years they are in this country," Grassley said. "Today, the majority is determined to weaken that policy."

The bill sponsored by the committee's Democratic chairman, Max Baucus which increases spending on SCHIP by $31.5 billion, got a unanimous vote from all the Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

This bill did not include a provision to cover legal immigrants but Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., offered an amendment which was approved by a 12-7 vote. Under the present law legal immigrants have to wait five years before they become eligible for coverage under Medicaid and SCHIP. "I believe no lawfully present child in this country should be required to wait five years before they get health care," Rockefeller said.

The Republicans felt the extended health coverage would encourage people to come to the United States for its government benefits. "We are giving more incentives to folks to come to the United States not just to participate in the American dream, but to get on the government dole," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

In order to raise money for the proposed increased spending on the children's health program, 40 Republicans joined Democrats in passing a bill that would raise the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 61 cents to $1-a-pack and also calls for the tobacco tax increase.

While the present bill is a step in the right direction to make Obama's campaign pledge to provide health insurance that covers all Americans a reality, there will still be an estimated 5 million kids without health insurance once SCHIP passes. These are children whose families earn too much to qualify for subsidized coverage and too little to afford private health insurance.

U.S. News's Michelle Andrews collects solutions to such parents as well as laid-off workers using COBRA on how to come through this crisis. For children suffering from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, U.S. News's Nancy Shute said ADHD treatments that don't involve medication have a proven track record.  Alongside skills training programs and ADHD summer camps can help teach techniques to overcome everyday problems that often make life miserable.

In so far as the term good diet goes the best way is the simplest. : Eat mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, sources of good fats and lean sources of protein, and fewer processed and fried foods, bad fats, and overall calories.

Obama said Wednesday he hoped the Senate acts with the "same sense of urgency so that it can be one of the first measures I sign into law when I am president."

"In this moment of crisis, ensuring that every child in America has access to affordable health care is not just good economic policy, but a moral obligation we hold as parents and citizens," he said.