Legislative Wrap-up 9/22 –> 10/3
Rendell scales back his health care plan and eliminates tobacco taxes as the source of funding, in an effort to create a compromise before session time runs out. Meanwhile, two Republican-backed initiatives to expand health insurance in PA unanimously passed the Senate last week and head to a House Committee for consideration. Time is also running out to reauthorize PHC4, as only 3 voting days remain for the Senate in this year’s session…
Calls for healthcare reform around PA
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.
Newspapers want healthcare as Legislature’s top priority
Several newspapers are making it clear what they think should be the Legislature’s top priority for the short fall session: Healthcare.
Rural Pennsylvanians and health insurance
An article by the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the epidemic of uninsured rural Pennsylvanians.
Gov. Rendell declares health care reform must increase insured
The Morning Call reports on recent remarks by Gov. Rendell about health care reform in Pennsylvania.
Healthcare plan will probably sit on Legislatures’ back burner until fall
Yesterday Gov. Rendell stated that working out the main components of a healthcare plan to help the state’s uninsured is probably going to have to wait until September, when the lawmakers return for fall session, reports the Morning Call. Rendell sees this as an advantage, as the nearing Nov. election will prompt legislators to work a bit harder to “approve a conerstone of his second-term agenda.”
Mark Stier: GOP health-care plan inadaquate
Mark Stier, health care campaign manager for the Service Employees International Union’s Pennsylvania State Council, explains in his As I see it, Patriot-News column today why the Republicans HealthNET PA plan won’t be adaquate to help the uninsured — if it even works at all.
State legislators, Rendell in summer fray over healthcare reform plans
At the end of the summer session, legislators will be returning to their district and most to campaigning and a November election. (All 203 house members and half of the 50 senators are up for reelection this year). With the cost of healthcare at the top of Pennsylvanians concerns, it is unlikely that most of these members want to return to their constituents without making at least some progress on healthcare reform.
Gov’s office believes GOP healthcare plan unrealistic with unreliable funding
Director of the Gov’s Office of Health Care Reform Rosemarie Greco thinks the Republican’s recently introduced healthcare plan, HealthNET PA, is not the best way to help the uninsured. Greco believes that the plan’s funding stream is unreliable and that the uninured would still not have access to a full range of services, reports the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
PA ABC stalled in Senate, some businesses have problems with the plan
Earlier this year, the state House amended and passed SB 1137, establishing the new health insurance plan PA ABC and linking it to the doctor’s MCARE fund, which helps pay for their liability insurance, reports the Central Penn Business Journal.