June 10th, 2008

Senate Republicans issued a press release today outlining the bills which make up their comprehensive healthcare reform package, which they say is “designed to improve health care access and affordability by building on approaches that are working and doing it in a fiscally responsible way.”

The Republicans have been against Gov. Rendell’s PA ABC program, saying that they are not opposed to covering the uninsured but that Rendell’s plan is not fiscally responsible, and is downright unaffordable for the longterm.

Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Ted Erickson (R – 26) stated in the release, “This is a comprehensive, realistic health care package, with continual, annual funding. It’s one that improves access to health care, because insurance doesn’t equal care. And it actually controls costs, rather than simply shift them around.”

According to the release the main features of the 15-bill package include:

• Improving Access to Health Care and Medicines
  • Establishing the Community-Based Healthcare Program for the expansion and site development of health care clinics across Pennsylvania to provide “medical homes” for 175,000 working poor clients and ease pressure on hospital emergency rooms.
  • Implementing a physician/health care facility volunteer program through which an additional 159,000 uninsured patients would be assigned to a primary or specialty care physician, with access to free specialty care, labs and inpatient hospital care.
  • Creating a registry of free prescription drugs and allowing retail establishment pharmacies to sell prescription drugs at a minimal cost, such as $4.
• Making Health Care More Affordable
  • Helping hospitals and doctors’ offices convert to Electronic Medical Records, boosting evidence-based diagnosis and treatment protocols, and encouraging Telemedicine expansion.
  • Permitting health insurers to withhold payment to providers in the event of a medical error, and allowing employers to establish “Healthy Living Committees” qualifying for insurance discounts.
  • Providing funding of a critical cost-saver – the reduction of health care-associated infections.
• Expanding Insurance Coverage
  • Providing “Mini-Cobra” coverage for small business employers, creating a high-risk pool for individuals who cannot access other coverage, and extending the option of dependent coverage to age 30. (Nearly half of uninsured Pennsylvanians are age 18-34.)
  • Provide $5 million in state tax credits for the use of Health Savings Accounts.

HealthNET PA bill summaries

HealthNET PA bullet points