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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Nicole
Reigelman |
State Rep. Mark Cohen |
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Cohen aims to expose companies failing to offer
health insurance to employees
HARRISBURG, March 1 -- State Rep. Mark Cohen wants to call attention to large employers that do not offer health insurance to their employees by creating a report of those companies and how much it costs taxpayers for the emergency care that uninsured workers often seek.
Cohen, D-Phila., the majority caucus chairman, said uninsured employees often skip preventative care due to cost and wait until a health condition is bad and more expensive to treat. Uninsured workers also seek treatment in the emergency room, which is more expensive. Taxpayers wind up covering these charges, essentially subsidizing the health care of these uninsured employees.
“It is unfair for taxpayers to keep footing the bill for employers who do not offer health insurance,” Cohen said. “It is equally unfair to the employers who do their part and offer health coverage.”
Cohen’s bill would define a large employer as one that has 50 or more uninsured employees. The report would include the name and address of the company, the number of uninsured employees, the number of employees’ spouses and dependents, and the cost to the state to cover health access program benefits for those employees and their enrolled dependents.
Cohen said the names and personal information of employees would be withheld, and the report would be issued annually and be submitted to the House speaker, Senate president pro temp and the chairmen of the Senate Public Health and Welfare and House Health and Human Services committees on Feb. 1.
House Bill 613 has 28 co-sponsors.
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