Thirty Consumer Groups Ask Pileggi for Vote on House Health Insurance Bills

Thirty consumer-related groups from across the state have requested Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi to bring three health-related bills recently passed by the House to the Senate floor for debate and a vote by the full membership.  The three bills, each of which passed the House with bipartisan support, are  HB 2005, which would prohibit the use of medical history in the pricing of insurance policies; SB 1137, which would authorize a hybrid health insurance plan (Access to Basic Care) for the uninsured; and HB 2098, which would authorize health insurers to refuse to pay expenses incurred by a medical provider because of erroneous treatment.

“Fixing our broken health care system requires the kind of comprehensive approach offered by the House reform package, which reduces reliance on costly emergency room care, broadens participation in health insurance, and stabilizes health insurance costs for individuals and small businesses,” said Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. “The bills reflect more than a year of work in the House, and deserve a full hearing and vote by the Senate this spring.”

“Two people die in Pennsylvania each week because their lack of health insurance keeps them from seeing a doctor,” said Ray Landis, Director of Advocacy for AARP Pennsylvania.  “If the members of the Senate aren’t content with that state of affairs, then they will find a way to expand access to health insurance. The House bills do that, and it's time for the Senate to debate this issue and these bills."

To read the text, go to Letter to Senator Pileggi