August 27th, 2009

Yesterday, the PA legislature found time to make progress on two pieces of healthcare legislation.

The first is announced by a press release from Rep. Vanessa Brown:

“The House Health and Human Services Committee today unanimously approved state Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown’s resolution that would direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study and report on disparities of dental care for Pennsylvanians who have disabilities or are working poor.

 House Resolution 380 now goes to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.

 “I’m hopeful the resolution will be adopted by the House,” said Lowery Brown, D-Phila. “The study would help me write legislation to preserve the quality of dental services already in place and to make incentives so dentists open their practices to the disabled and to the working poor.”

 The resolution also would direct the committee to determine the availability and need of dental providers county by county. It also would examine the availability of physically accessible dental offices and dental equipment in those offices for people with disabilities.

And from Reps. Pashinski and Reichley:

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, said the House Health and Human Services Committee today approved legislation he co-wrote with Rep. Doug Reichley, R-Lehigh, that would expand Pennsylvania’s heart disease and stroke program.