June 20th, 2008

Reports the Morning Call today;

“Gov. Ed Rendell said Thursday he won’t sign a health care reform package that doesn’t provide a ’significant increase’ in the number of people with coverage or extend benefits to those who are already sick and can’t otherwise get insurance.

‘My goal is to make sure that every Pennsylvanian can get access to health care, that just because they have a pre-existing condition, that they’re not shut off,’ Rendell said at a news conference.

The governor has called on lawmakers to pass a reform package approved by the Democrat-controlled House in March that would extend health benefits to roughly 270,000 Pennsylvanians without coverage.”

The plan currently proposed by Democrats, PA ABC, is smaller than Rendell’s original package, Cover All Pennsylvanians.  Rendell he will support PA ABC, however, because it at least begins to “chip away” at the number of the uninsured.

The Republicans, who balk at the size and cost of PA ABC, also have a proposed package– called HealthNET PA.  Their plan costs less, and instead of providing health insurance, would provide health care through a network of clinics.