|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. John T. Galloway |
|
Galloway supports health-care proposal to cover uninsured in Pa.
HARRISBURG, March 12 – The state House is poised to pass legislation, possibly as soon as next week, that would provide quality, affordable health insurance to the more than 3,400 people in Bucks County currently on the adultBasic waiting list.
State Rep. John Galloway, D-Bucks, said he is supporting the plan, known as Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care.
"Many of my constituents have taken my health-care survey and affordability is their number one concern," Galloway said. "Access to health care is a basic right for all Pennsylvanians, not just the well off or the well employed, and I believe this plan is a major step in opening up the health-care system to the thousands of people currently on the outside looking in."
Under PA ABC, uninsured Pennsylvanians earning less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level – about $32,000 for a family of four – would have fully subsidized coverage. Uninsured Pennsylvanians earning between 150 percent and 200 percent of the poverty level could access coverage for a monthly premium of $40 or $50, depending on income. For higher income people – those earning up to 300 percent of the poverty level – PA ABC would be available at a cost of about $311 a month. The program would also act as the insurer of last resort for families earning more than that but who cannot get private health insurance.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees whose workers earn less than 300 percent of the poverty level would be able to provide health coverage to their employees through PA ABC. Small businesses that are already providing health insurance to their workers would be eligible for state grants to help them continue that coverage.
In addition to providing coverage to uninsured adults, PA ABC would include $258 million to help address the state's unfunded MCARE liability. The plan would continue MCARE abatements, which help Pennsylvania doctors pay the premiums on their catastrophic malpractice insurance, until 2017, after which all medical malpractice insurance would be provided by the private market.
Residents can take Galloway's health-care survey by visiting his Web site at www.pahouse.com/Galloway and clicking on the "PA's Health Care Crisis – What's your challenge?" link under State Issues.
###lr/2008/agh
l:\print\releases\PaABC.140