

	June 19, 2008	Rxforpa.com \| PA.gov

A Message from the Director of the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform

Yesterday, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee held its first and only scheduled hearing on the health care plan passed by the state House in March as part of SB 1137. This hearing has been long in coming, as Governor Rendell has been pushing for an open dialogue on health care reform since he introduced Prescription for Pennsylvania in January of 2007.

Just over three months ago, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a health care plan based on Governor Rendell’s proposal which would expand access to affordable health coverage for more than a quarter million uninsured Pennsylvanians. The plan is called Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (PA ABC).

After three full months and pressure from the administration, their colleagues in the House of Representatives, the media, numerous health care advocates and thousands of consumers, the Senate Republicans finally released a proposal on health care on June 10 and scheduled yesterday's hearing on the House-approved plan.

While it has taken a long time, we are optimistic that the Senate Republicans are finally joining the dialogue on health care and this hearing is a sign that progress can be made; and, if we work together, we can get PA ABC – access to affordable coverage – by the end of the current budget year.

We will then look to take that momentum into the fall to implement the final remaining pieces of Governor Rendell’s Prescription for Pennsylvania health care reform initiative, but the time to act on PA ABC is now.

It is a big step forward that yesterday's five witnesses – an actuary, an insurance industry lobbyist, an uninsured consumer, a Pennsylvania physician who favors PA ABC and a health economist from a national health advocacy organization – were given an opportunity to have their voices heard; however, we must continue to work to ensure that our legislators know how important this plan is to every Pennsylvanian. They have heard from these experts and from these few witnesses, now they need to hear from you.

Contact your legislators today and tell them that we cannot afford to wait any longer; the time to act is now.

Rosemarie B. Greco
Director, Governor's Office of Health Care Reform

Update on PA ABC Hearing:

The hearing on PA ABC included testimony from: an actuary; Kevin Wrege, an insurance industry lobbyist; Roberta Rey Yetman, an uninsured consumer who works full time for a small health care business; Cheryl Bettigole, a Pennsylvania physician who favors PA ABC; and Judith Solomon, a health economist from a national health advocacy organization.

Excerpts from testimony may be found at www.rxforpa.com/speeches.html.

Want to help?
Call or write to your legislators to urge them to support PA ABC or write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Click here for assistance.

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Visit this Web site and use the member search option in the top right corner to find your legislator or call us at: 717-772-9022 and we’ll help you find out.


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