Affordability and cost will be big issues in fall session
pahealth 08/24/2009 - 8:11pm
Federal Legislation, individual mandate, insurance subsidies, national health reform

When Congress returns to session in September, the silliness about euthanisia and a government take-over of health care will be behind us. Then the debate will begin to focus on practical questions of cost: how to pay for a plan that would make health insurance affordable for American families that don't have coverage now and have precious little to contribute to insurance premiums.

Cost of insurance rising five times faster than incomes
pahealth 08/24/2009 - 7:15pm
Health Insurance, Health Insurance, health insurance costs

Want to know why your wages haven't been increasing?  Look at the cost of health insurance.  According to a study by Families USA, between 2000 and 2009, the cost of family health insurance provided by Pennsylvania employers jumped by 95 percent - from $6,721 to $13,116 annually. During that same period, median earnings for a Pennsylvania employee grew by only 17.5 percent - from $24,834 to $...

"The Health Reform Bill is the Flashpoint"
pahealth 08/12/2009 - 1:52pm
Federal Legislation, health care costs, HR 3200, national health reform, uninsured

What have we learned over the course of the past two weeks about support for health care reform?

York Town Hall Meetings Endorse Health Reform
pahealth 08/06/2009 - 1:15pm
Federal Legislation, health care costs, national health reform, uninsured

Emotions ran high in two town hall meetings held August 5th in York. Although opponents of reform made the most noise, a majority of participants indicated their support for national health reform.

The meetings, hosted by York Representative Eugene DePasquale and Montgomery County Representative Josh Shapiro, focused on gathering input from area residents on the health care legislation moving through Congress. Shapiro promised to forward the results of the meeting to the White...

Geisinger Health System points the way forward
pahealth 08/03/2009 - 9:55am
Federal Legislation, health costs, national health reform

Geisinger Health System practices many of the cost-saving principles touted by the Obama administration and is making people healthier in the process.

Independence Blue Cross shows its hand
pahealth 07/29/2009 - 1:19pm
Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Federal Legislation, public option, uninsured

Within the halls of Congress and among Pennsylvania's 19 members of the U.S. House, "the Blues" (Highmark, Blue Cross of NE PA, Capital Blue Cross, Independence Blue Cross) are opposing House passage of HR 3200, the health care reform bill pending before the U.S. House of Representatives.

Report describes how HR 3200 would impact PA
pahealth 07/28/2009 - 11:52am
Federal Legislation

The health care reform bill pending before the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 3200) would benefit thousands of people in every Pennsylvania congressional district.

A report released July 24 by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce provides ...

Whistleblower tells of America's health care nightmare
pahealth 07/27/2009 - 3:37pm
Health Insurance, Health Insurance, insurance industry, uninsured

Wendell Potter, a former senior executive at the giant health insurer Cigna, is telling the truth about how the industry confuses its customers and dumps the sick.  It's all part of the effort to maximize profits that will please Wall Street investors.

Who wins, who loses in national health reform plan?
pahealth 07/20/2009 - 5:22pm
Federal Legislation, health care, national health reform, uninsured

Congress is debating how to reform health care, a sector of our economy that consumes nearly 17 percent of GDP.  Much as we'd like for everyone to come out a winner, that's not possible.  Who wins and who loses under HR 3200, the plan under consideration in the U.S. House?

Winners:  People who have insurance now.

Historic debate over health reform begins in Congress
pahealth 07/16/2009 - 12:30pm
Federal Legislation, health care, national health reform, uninsured

The long-awaited debate about how to fix our broken health care system has begun in Congress.  Key committees in each chamber are reviewing the bills, which are expected to be voted in the full House during the last week in July and in the full Senate during the first or second week in August.

PA House passes health reform bills
pahealth 07/01/2009 - 3:15pm
Health Insurance, health reform, PA Legislation, uninsured

Two important bills - one to expand subsidized health insurance, the other to protect small businesses against premium spikes - cleared the Pennsylvania House June 29. Both face an uphill struggle in the Senate, which has shown little interest to date in expanding insurance coverage or regulating insurance companies.

1,800 Keystoners urge Congress to reform health care
pahealth 06/25/2009 - 2:42pm
national health reform, PA Facts & Figures, uninsured

Supporters of national health reform, including nearly 1,800 individuals from across Pennsylvania, rallied in Washington, D.C. June 25th.

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) organized the event, which drew an estimated crowd of 10,000.

PHAN activists from Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Allentown, and the greater Philadelphia area participated in the rally and also visited the offices of congressman Paul Kanjorski, Charlie Dent, Patrick Murphy and Chris Carney. 

President Obama answers health reform questions
pahealth 06/25/2009 - 2:12pm
Federal Legislation, health care costs, national health reform

On June 15th, President Obama gave a major speech to the American Medical Association in which he laid out his vision for health care reforms.

Following are excerpts from that speech.

"To say it as plainly as I can, health care reform is the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health. That is a fact."  

PA premiums soar as insurers face less competition
pahealth 06/23/2009 - 9:02am
affordable health insurance, insurance companies, PA Facts & Figures, public plan

Opponents of a public health insurance option for people shopping for health insurance claim it would destroy the competition within the health insurance industry.

Paul Krugman, Nobel-winning economist, asks: "What competition?"

Writing in his blog at the New York Times, Krugman states:  "While the opponents of a private plan say that they’re trying to defend market...

PA House to vote on rate protection for small business
pahealth 06/22/2009 - 4:46pm
Health Insurance, PA Legislation, rate review, small group market, uninsured

Health insurance rate protections enjoyed by employers in 48 other states are moving through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. House Bill 746, authored by Rep. Tony DeLuca (Allegheny County), is expected to be brought to the House floor for final passage soon.