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EDITORIAL |
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State
Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith |
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Subject: National Cover the Uninsured Week (April 27-May 3, 2008)
Pa. uninsured and insured would benefit from House-passed health-coverage bill
It takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away. It takes regular checkups and immediate attention when illness strikes.
But for more than 270,000 Pennsylvanians, health care is little more than an apple a day, and keeping their fingers crossed they don't get seriously ill. They live their lives without health-care coverage. It's not their fault, it's not their choice, but it is their reality -- and everyone's problem.
Many of these uninsured are hard-working adults who pay their taxes but cannot afford to buy health insurance.
Don't think this issue is not important to you because you have health insurance. About 6.5 percent of your premium pays for health care for people who don't have health insurance.
We cannot wait another moment to find a cure.
The week of April 27 is National Cover the Uninsured Week – a good time to open a dialogue about solving this crisis.
House Democrats have put forth Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care, a plan that would provide the state’s working uninsured access to basic care, including prescription drug benefits and preventative check-ups. It would bring quick relief to the 80,000 people on the state's adultBasic waiting list – including 1,660 in Chester County -- and give hope to the hundreds of thousands more looking for affordable health insurance.
PA ABC would make $42 million available to small business owners to help them defray the cost of providing health-care coverage for their employees and continue to help doctors pay their medical malpractice insurance premiums so we can retain our health-care professionals. PA ABC passed in the House and is currently under consideration in the state Senate.
There are other ideas being discussed, including universal health care. I am open to all ideas and suggestions and look forward to some lively debate at my health-care town hall meeting Thursday evening at the Borough of West Chester Municipal Building.
Access to health care is a basic human need and right. Pennsylvania is poised to be a leader in addressing this national crisis. I call on everyone to get involved. Only by a cooperative effort of Democrats and Republicans, doctors and insurance companies, and businesses and individuals just like you can we solve this growing problem.
State Rep. Barb McIlvaine Smith (www.pahouse.com/BSmith) represents the 156th Legislative District in Chester County.
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