Topeka ? Key Republican leaders on Monday abandoned a measure to help low-income families get health insurance, opting instead for a plan that they said could lead to more children receiving coverage.

But Democrats called the proposal a “sham.”

The move by the Senate Health Care Strategies Committee came as the top three GOP senators pushed for making HealthWave available to more children.

“Many new health care ideas are swirling around the Capitol,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton. “It’s good to have those discussions, but we believe expanding a tried-and-true program to help insure kids is a smart and prudent public policy strategy.”

But expansion of HealthWave, which provides low-cost health care to children in working class families, would depend on more funding from the federal government’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Last year, President Bush twice vetoed expansion of SCHIP.

Senate Democrats were critical of Republicans on the committee who shelved the premium assistance plan for low-income families and endorsed a proposal that depends on doubtful federal funding.

“This is a sham,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka. “They have no health care plan.”

In Kansas, HealthWave is available to children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $33,200 per year for a family of three.

Under a plan pushed by Morris, Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, and Senate Vice President John Vratil, R-Leawood, the income guideline would increase to 250 percent of the poverty level over two years.

The senators said this would add another 5,500 children to the program. But it would depend on an increase in funding from the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Health Strategies Committee recommended more study after the legislative session of a plan to provide insurance premium assistance to low-income adults.

Lawmakers had already approved such a proposal that was set to take effect in January 2009 and started covering families earning half of the poverty level. But lately many legislators have balked at the $4 million price tag.

Putting the premium assistance plan aside was blasted by Democrats on the Health Strategies Committee.

“Premium assistance is our best option to provide affordable, private coverage to needy Kansas parents and their children,” said state Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, Kan.