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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mark Longietti |
  
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Pa. Senate introduces Longietti-sponsored proposal to expand insurance coverage to more young adults
HARRISBURG, June 13 – State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Mercer, announced that several Republican members of the Pennsylvania Senate have introduced a proposal he has sponsored in the House that would expand health-care coverage to thousands of young adults.
The proposal, which was unveiled by Senate Republicans this week as part of their overall health-care plan, would allow parents to keep a child on their insurance plan until the child turns 30. Longietti said he introduced similar legislation, H.B. 1556, which unanimously passed the state House last year.
"I am extremely pleased to see bipartisan support for my proposal," Longietti said. "I do believe it would be more expedient on their part to simply act on my proposal that is before them and send it to the governor, but I support their efforts in addressing this issue."
Under Longietti's proposal, to qualify for extended coverage a child would have to be unmarried, have no dependents, be a resident of the Commonwealth or a full-time student, and receive no other health insurance benefits.
Longietti said currently there are more than 1 million Pennsylvanians without health insurance, yet a majority of them have full-time jobs or are still seeking some form of higher education.
"The cost of insuring these citizens is placed on the backs of those who do have health insurance, with about 6 percent of their premium paying for the care for those who have none," he added. "That costs Pennsylvanians about $1.4 billion a year," he said. "My bill would help young people who are starting careers or completing their education obtain insurance, thereby stabilizing premiums for insured citizens who end up picking up the cost of uninsured claims. At the same time, there would be no additional cost to employers since parents would be responsible for the additional cost of including their children on their health insurance plan."
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