October 1st, 2008

With the end of the fall legislative session coming up soon, legislators and advocacy groups concerned with a new healthcare plan for PA are scrambling to get their opinions heard and their bills passed.

A sampling of some releases from the past few couple days, with relevant quotes:

Service Employees International Union’s PA State Council:

Pennsylvania SEIU, which represents thousands of healthcare workers, asked State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi to act quickly to move SB 1137 and HB 2005, which would provide insurance to more than 275,000 Pennsylvanians who can’t afford coverage, crack down on insurance company abuses, and prevent insurers from denying care based on pre-existing conditions.

“We are facing the possibility of a recession, and the working families of Pennsylvania need protection if they lose their employer funded health care,” said Executive Director Eileen Connelly. “Right now, we already have 111,847 people on the waiting list for Adult Basic, and the system cannot hold more.”

Sen. Ted Erickson and Sen. Don White:

“Our HealthNET PA plan provides needed access to health care at a fraction of the cost of an expansive universal health care insurance program. HealthNET PA is sustainable and affordable in the short and long term. Many of the legislative ideas contained in HealthNET PA have strong bipartisan support. We must not delay action on this type of immediate relief while the broader debate on health care continues.”

And finally, the PA Health Access Network has issued a release calling for the support of healthcare plan Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care, and announces that it will hold an event outside of Sen. Pileggi’s district office in Chester:

“Every day two people in Pennsylvania die from lack of health insurance. In Pennsylvania there are over 750,000 individuals that do not have access to health insurance. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has sent to the Senate a bill (SB 1137) that will insure 275,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians and reduce health care costs for those who have health insurance now. The General Assembly’s SB 1137 would create a new program called Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care. It will allow uninsured individuals to find a medical home with a primary care physician. Currently Senator Pileggi is blocking SB 1137 and will not bring it to the floor for a vote. As negotiations continue time is running out. If this piece of legislation fails to be brought to a vote 724 Pennsylvanian’s will die from lack of health insurance over the next year. There are only three voting days left in this Senate session, October 6th, 7th and 8th.

On Wednesday community organizations and key community leaders will hold an event outside of Senator Pileggi’s district office that will visualize the fact that if the Senate fails to act on this legislation hundreds of Pennsylvanian’s will die. Mock tombstones and a giant clock will be placed outside his office to visualize the severity of the situation.”