Thursday, 8 May 2008
Pennsylvania Healthcare Bill Making Headway Through State Legislature
A new healthcare reform bill in Pennsylvania has been approved by the state House of Representatives and is now headed to the state Senate for consideration.
The bill would create the Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (ABC) program, which would allow any resident to purchase state-subsidized health insurance from the state. Residents would be able to buy coverage on a first-come, first-serve basis, wrote the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Small business owners would also be able to provide their workers with health insurance through the ABC plan. But only businesses that have not offered insurance for six months or more qualify. The bill also provides tax credits to employers with private group coverage.
In its first year of operation, state estimates predict the ABC program will cost $501 million by the end of fiscal year 2009, which is at the end of September 2009. The program is also expected to cost $1.4 billion by 2018.
Funding for the ABC plan will come from current state programs, the state’s tobacco fund, and increased tobacco taxes.
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