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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tony DeLuca |
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DeLuca votes to help more Pennsylvanians get health-care coverage
HARRISBURG, March 17 – State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said the House of Representatives today passed "Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care," a health-care plan that would provide 270,000 uninsured working people with access to affordable health insurance.
The legislation (S.B. 1137) would also help small business employers provide coverage to their employees and make grants available to small businesses that already offer health-care coverage to their employees, said DeLuca, chairman of the House Insurance Committee.
"We are aggressively reforming our health-care system to provide access to quality, affordable care for all Pennsylvanians," DeLuca said.
Pennsylvania ABC would provide health insurance to 80,000 people who are on the waiting list for state-subsidized adultBasic coverage and make $42 million available for grants to small businesses that are already providing health-care coverage to their employees.
The plan would also assist doctors by continuing to help them pay their medical malpractice insurance premiums and lower the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals.
Last year, DeLuca introduced and helped to pass landmark legislation to reduce hospital-acquired infections. He also voted for a series of measures giving health-care professionals the chance to practice to the fullest extent of their skill and experience in Pennsylvania. Both measures are expected to help expand access to care and lower the cost of health care in the state.
DeLuca said S.B. 1137 now goes back to the Senate for further consideration.
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