uninsured

1,800 Keystoners urge Congress to reform health care

Submitted by pahealth on June 25, 2009 - 2:42pm

Supporters of national health reform, including nearly 1,800 individuals from across Pennsylvania, rallied in Washington, D.C. June 25th.

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) organized the event, which drew an estimated crowd of 10,000.

PHAN activists from Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Allentown, and the greater Philadelphia area participated in the rally and also visited the offices of congressman Paul Kanjorski, Charlie Dent, Patrick Murphy and Chris Carney.

PA House to vote on rate protection for small business

Submitted by pahealth on June 22, 2009 - 4:46pm

Health insurance rate protections enjoyed by employers in 48 other states are moving through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. House Bill 746, authored by Rep. Tony DeLuca (Allegheny County), is expected to be brought to the House floor for final passage soon.

Letter to members - HB 746.doc

Time for physicians to speak up for uninsured

Submitted by pahealth on June 10, 2009 - 8:59am

On Wednesday, June 10th, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will debate House Bill 1, the plan sponsored by House Majority Leader Todd Eachus to expand the number of working-age Pennsylvanians who could purchase affordable, private health insurance through adultBasic.

In its June 10th edition, the Harrisburg Patriot-News published the following op-ed, authored by Berry Friesen, PHAN's public affairs manager, urging physicians to support the Eachus plan.

Video: State Leaders Support Health Access

Submitted by pahealth on June 9, 2009 - 3:37pm

Leaders of prominent Pennsylvania organizations stood together June 2nd at the Capitol in support of pending legislation to improve access to health care in the state. Watch video clips from that event.

State leaders stand together in support of health access

Submitted by pahealth on June 4, 2009 - 5:11pm

Leaders of prominent Pennsylvania organizations stood together June 2nd at the Capitol in support of pending legislation to improve access to health care in the state.

Bishop Robert Driesen of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Bishop Jane Allen Middleton of the Central PA Conference of the United Methodist Church, Fran Viglietta of the PA Catholic Conference, and Jacqueline Rucker of Christian Churches United represented religious communities.

Lack of insurance contributes to death of Bill Koehler

Submitted by pahealth on May 28, 2009 - 10:27am

Lack of health insurance contributes to the deaths of two Pennsylvanians each day.

This compelling statistic, based on the analysis of the highly credible Institute of Medicine, is made real by a May 27 article published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It features the sad story of Bill Koehler, a 57-year-old man from Garfield.

Bill to expand adultBasic health insurance introduced

Submitted by pahealth on May 22, 2009 - 12:56pm

PA House Majority Leader Todd Eachus has introduced a bill to expand adultBasic, Pennsylvania's subsidized health insurance plan, to 130,000 working-age adults.

Currently, only 44,000 people are insured by adultBasic, the program started by Governor Tom Ridge in 2001 to help the uninsured buy coverage at an affordable rate. Approximately 235,000 people are on the waiting list, which has been growing rapidly. The Eachus bill would enable 86,000 individuals to move from the waiting list into active coverage.

Health crisis will worsen if Congress fails to act

Submitted by pahealth on May 22, 2009 - 11:59am

By 2019, up to 66 million Americans could be uninsured and the costs of health care for businesses could double unless comprehensive health reform is enacted by Congress.

That is a key finding in a report, Health Reform: The Cost of Failure, released May 21 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"As battered as our health system has been in recent years, unless we take action, the worst is far from over," said Riza Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D. and president of the Foundation.

Senate Bill 5: Funding for community health clinics

Community Health Care Fact Sheet.pdf

Expanding Health Access at the Community Level

House to consider rate reform for small employers

Submitted by pahealth on May 13, 2009 - 2:44pm

When it returns to Harrisburg in June, the PA House of Representatives plans to give top priorioty to a bill that would bring greater stability and predictability to the chaotic small group health insurance market.