State Senator Urges Lawmakers to Keep Health Council

An extension for the Health Care Cost Containment Council(HCCCC) is nearing the end. The group, which provides information on health care and hospital costs statewide, was kept alive by an executive order from the Governor's office last year. Now, time is running out for the HCCCC once more, as the temporary reprieve ends June 30th. Though House Republicans voted for a re-enactment of the council, opposition is expected from their Senatorial counterparts. They don't like that Governor Rendell and Senate Democrats like Vincent Hughes are trying to expand the state health insurance program as part of the sustenance of the HCCCC. Hughes says the health care problem is quite broad, though; nearly 200,000 Pennsylvania adults are on the waiting list for the state health insurance program. "We're approaching, in a six or seven year period, an almost 90% raise in health insurance premium costs. The Health Care Cost Containment Council informs us... what we need to do to keep those costs down," Hughes says. Action is expected to be taken later this week.