Health Reform Needed to Lower Costs, Bring Peace of Mind

The Pennsylvania Health Access Network put out the following press release today:

HARRISBURG, PA (January 27, 2010) – Health care reform is needed to rein in unsustainable costs and give hardworking Pennsylvanians greater freedom to care for their families and themselves, according to the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN).

Members of PHAN, a coalition of 50 organizations from across Pennsylvania, addressed the need for health reform, while several Pennsylvania state representatives and their supporters staged an anti-reform rally at the Pennsylvania Capitol Wednesday. The rally promoted state legislation that would hamper federal reform efforts from taking hold in the Commonwealth.

Without health reform, many more Pennsylvanians and their families will join the ranks of the uninsured, as the economy stagnates, people search for work and health care costs continue to rise.

“It’s getting tougher to afford quality health care, no matter how hard we work, even when we take responsibility for our health and make good decisions for ourselves and our families. But we can build on our health care system with uniquely American ideas to provide quality, affordable health care for everyone,” said Georgeanne Koehler of Pittsburgh, a member of SEIU who has worked to pass health reform. Her brother, Billy Koehler, after losing his job and his health insurance, died last March because he couldn’t afford to replace a heart defibrillator battery.

Over the past decade, nearly 700,000 Pennsylvanians have lost employer-sponsored health insurance, sending more people onto public health plans or forcing them to join the ranks of the uninsured.  U.S. Census Bureau data put the current uninsured rate in Pennsylvania at 1.2 million – a jump from 8.3% of the state population in 2000-01 to 9.7% in 2007-08.

More Pennsylvanians would have found themselves uninsured were it not for public coverage options, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Between 2000-01 and 2007-08, the share of the Pennsylvania population with coverage through Medicaid and CHIP grew from 10% to 14.3%.

“Many faith groups continue to urge members of Congress to keep up the current effort for meaningful health reform,” said Rev. Amy Reumann, Director of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania and a member of PHAN. “We believe reform remains necessary to address some of the deep problems with our current health system. Reforming health care is a moral issue as long as people continue to die needlessly for lack of access to care and others remain uninsured and without necessary health services.”

Health reform will allow Pennsylvanians to choose the private health plan that works best for them at an affordable cost. Providing affordable coverage to the uninsured is also the first step to reducing health system costs. Right now, the cost of treating uninsured patients – who go to hospitals when they are sicker and more costly to treat than those with insurance – adds to the cost of insurance premiums. A basic insurance plan will provide uninsured Pennsylvanians with access to preventive care that will save money as well as lives.

“Health care reform bills that have passed the U.S. House and Senate will also pay for themselves and reduce the deficit over the next 10 years,” said Sharon Ward, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.

Important insurance market reforms, like ending coverage bans for pre-existing conditions, are also needed, Ward said.

“Insurance companies should not be able to deny you coverage when you get sick or refuse you care because of your age,” she said. “Health care reform will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you will always have quality, affordable health care – no matter what happens with your job or your health.”

Seniors will also benefit from reforms aimed at expanding Medicare to cover more preventive health procedures and closing the doughnut hole in Medicare prescription drug coverage.