

	March 21, 2008	Rxforpa.com \| PA.gov

Governor Rendell Applauds State House for Efforts on Health Care Reform
On Monday, the House of Representatives passed a bill which would help to provide access to affordable health insurance coverage for Pennsylvania's uninsured. The plan, called ABC or Access to Basic Care, includes an option for low-wage small businesses to purchase the subsidized health insurance plan for their employees in addition to allowing individuals with household incomes up to 300 percent of the poverty level to purchase the care at a subsidized rate or at cost depending on their household income.

The program was introduced as an amendment to Senate Bill 1137 and was sponsored by Rep. Todd Eachus (D - Luzerne).

On Tuesday, Governor Rendell held a news conference and praised the House for taking an important first step in passing the ABC plan, and he urged the Senate to immediately consider the proposal.

"Since the time I first announced Prescription for Pennsylvania in January 2007, I have repeatedly asked the General Assembly to talk with us about ways to make sure the uninsured in this state have access to health care," said Governor Rendell. "I congratulate the House on bringing us one step closer to making sure Pennsylvanians have access to health care. Now, all attention will turn to the Senate to pass this vital legislation.

"While the ABC plan does not cover quite as many people as my Cover All Pennsylvanins proposal would have covered, it does provide sorely needed access to care and has some excellent additions that improve our proposal. There were bipartisan votes for this bill and I congratulate those House members who had the courage to stand up for Pennsylvania citizens who are imploring us to give them a solution to their health care challenges.

"Uninsured individuals and small businesses from across the state are clamoring for relief and help," Governor Rendell continued. "The time to act is now. I urge the Senate to follow the House's lead and support ABC."

Progress Made on Insurance Reform Initiatives in PA House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week considered a set of insurance reform initiatives contained in Governor Rendell's Prescription for Pennsylvania health care reform plan.

The bill includes provisions which would change how insurance companies set their premium rates. Pennsylvania is currently one of only two states that does not regulate the factors insurers can use to set rates. The new legislation would ensure that rates can only be set based on age, geographic location and family composition. This will help small businesses and other small group purchasers to avoid rate hikes based on the demographics of their employees.

In addition, the bill acts to end medical underwriting for small groups and individual policies so that people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage or be priced out of the market. Contact your legislator to express your support of the insurance reform initiatives.

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Governor Rendell was joined at his news conference by members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who stood in support of the initiative to cover the uninsured: Rep. Todd Eachus, Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), Rep. Tony Deluca (D-Allegheny), Rep. Robert Godshall (R-Montgomery), Rep. William Kortz (D-Allegheny), and Rep. Joseph Preston (D-Allegheny).

The bill passed with bipartisan support, 118 votes in favor and 81 votes opposed and has been returned to the Senate for concurrence.

Learn more | Who are the uninsured? | View release

Governor Rendell Discusses Hospital Quality Initiative
Earlier this week, Governor Rendell appeared on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric to discuss the recent move by the commonwealth to stop paying for serious preventable medical errors, also known as "never events" under the state's Medicaid system. The segment featured stories on the cost, both financial and human, of these types of mistakes and what Pennsylvania is doing to eliminate them.

View Segment

NEWS COVERAGE:

Philadelphia Inquirer
March 17, 2008
Editorial: Covering the Uninsured
Life-and-death vote

Philadelphia Daily News
March 17, 2008
Opinion: A Sick Plan

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Joe Fahy
March 18, 2008
House OKs health care, bill, but fate in the Senate is in doubt

The Patriot-News, David Wenner
March 19, 2008
Rendell promotes health plan:
GOP in Senate urged to pass bill for uninsured adults


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