June 2nd, 2009

Announces a press release from House Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne):

The state House passed legislation today that is one of the key components of Health PAct, the House Democrats’ package of bills aimed at improving access to quality, affordable health care in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 89 would extend the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, commonly referred to as PHC4, for another five years.

The Senate proposal is a companion bill to legislation introduced by House Majority Leader Todd A. Eachus, D-Luzerne. The bill would reauthorize PHC4, an independent state agency that has been successful in addressing the quality and costs of health care in Pennsylvania, until June 30, 2014.

For more than a year, Gov. Ed Rendell has issued executive orders extending the council. Eachus said passage of legislation to reauthorize the agency is long overdue.

…

Eachus said PHC4’s strategy is to contain costs through stimulating competition in the health-care market. It gives comparative information about the most efficient and effective health-care providers to individual consumers and group purchasers of health services, as well as provides information to health-care providers to identify opportunities to contain costs and improve the quality of care they deliver.

Check out the rest of the release for more information.