PA Senate Reps Will Reintroducing Health Care Coverage Package

In 2008, Democrats and Republicans pushed dueling health care packages, and neither got passed. Governor Ed Rendell is expected to reintroduce a plan to expand Pennsylvania's adultBasic program when he gives his budget address tomorrow but Senate Republicans haven't given up on their HealthNet proposal. The series of bills is centered on expanding community health centers that would treat low-income Pennsylvania residents. Co-sponsor Mike Brubaker of Lancaster County says Healthnet would also create a network of doctors providing free services. He says, “The 4 million dollar state appropriation would be to build an infrastructure that would allow doctors that desire to provide volunteer services-it would allow an infrastructure to be built so they could efficiently provide those services across the commonwealth.” But some health care advocates, like Barry Freisen of the PA Health Access Network, are skeptical about that program. He says a lot of doctors refuse to serve Medicaid patients because it doesn't pay enough. E wonders, “Why they're going to start serving people for free suddenly is a bit of a mystery.” A study recently released by the state Insurance Department found more than one million Pennsylvania residents don't have health insurance.