PHAN Holds Five Events Across the State to Preserve adultBasic

This morning I received an email in my inbox from a recipient of adultBasic that would later share her story at one of the five events that happened across the state to preserve adultBasic.

It read:

This morning the song, "Make Them Hear You," from the Broadway show kept running through my head. So I then played it on the piano and thought how appropriate the lyrics are, regarding this fight to keep Adult Basic for all the people who have it, and need it. Some of the lyrics are as follows:
 
"Go out and tell your story make it echo far and wide, Make Them Hear You, Make Them Hear You!
How Justice was are battle and how Justice Was Denied, Make Them Hear You, make them hear You!"
 
It is with this song and theme in my heart that I will attend today, to stand up for the rights of those who need this insurance and seek the common good. Blue Cross has the power to do the right thing. The question is what motivates them, the needs of the people, or just sheer profit?

Today the Pennsylvania Health Access Network stood alongside health care providers, consumers, activists and our coalition partners to fight to preserve adultBasic for over 45,000 Pennsylvanian's who could lose their health care if funding ends at the end of this year. PHAN led events in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Williamsport, Chester and Wilkes Barre.

The adultBasic program was launched in 2001 under Governor Tom Ridge, funded initially by Pennsylvania's share of multi- state settlement with tobacco companies. Around the same time, questions about the Blue's surpluses promoted government officials to investigate. The Blues ultimately signed the Community Health Reinvestment agreement in February 2005, agreeing to make annual contributions to adultBasic. Since 2003 the Blue's surpluses has risen from $3billion dollars to $5.6 billion even with their contributions to the Community Health Reinvestment Fund.  The Blue's provide the largest funding source for the program. This agreement was set to expire on December 31st of this year. If they could afford it then they could afford it now.

Voices accross the state spoke out today....

In Pittsburgh Allegheny County Executive and Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Onorato spoke at length about the need for adultBasic to continue despite the fact that federal health care reform had passed. At the event Onoroto was asked to sign PHAN's petition to save adultBasic, he said. “Not only will I sign the petition, but I am making sure the issues of continuing adultBasic one of my campaign platforms moving forward." His opponent was also invited to the event but declined to attend.

Karen Fitzer from West Philadelphia shared her story outside of IBX in Philadelphia at a noon rally. She said “The week of Thanksgiving five years ago I was hit with a double diagnosis of thyroid cancer and a slow growing brain tumor. Luckily I was insured by adultBasic. I was one of the first people to sign up for the plan, and I spent a year and a half uninsured and on the waiting list. I had paid for my insurance many years until I could no longer afford to do so. AdultBasic meant that I had finally found insurance that would take me. I no longer had to stand on the side of the room at the dance, hoping."

Because of the hard work of people across the state we were heard. Largely in part  of our pressure to continue funding adultBasic and our events today,the Blues are extending their commitment to the adultBasic funding for six additional months until June 30, 2011. While we applaud these efforts it is a small step. AdultBasic can serve as a bridge until Federal health care reform goes into effect in January 2014. Without and extension, enrollees will be forced to go without insurance, unaffordable premiums, or up in emergency room for the next three years. We will continue to work with our partners to demand a solution to preserve adultBasic.