HealthNET PA…improving access to health care in PA.

In our busy lives it’s hard to keep track of what is (and isn’t) going on in Harrisburg. While I don’t want to inundate you with a bunch of bill numbers, I wanted to make you aware of an effort I am involved in to improve access and affordability in health care by building on approaches that are working and doing it in a fiscally responsible way.

HealthNET PA is a $100 million blueprint that expands access to health care and medicine to 507,000 uninsured and low-income working Pennsylvanians. It utilizes information technology to control costs and reduce health care-associated infections, and provides expanded insurance options for employers and families.

Pennsylvania is ranked fifth-best in the nation in the number of citizens covered by health insurance, with 92 percent of the population covered. Nearly 16 percent of Pennsylvanians, or 2 million residents, are already covered by government-subsidized health care.

Features of the 15-bill HealthNET PA package include the following:

Improving Access to Health Care and Medicines
Establishing the Community-Based Healthcare Program for the expansion and site development of health care clinics across Pennsylvania to provide “medical homes” for 175,000 working poor clients and ease pressure on hospital emergency rooms.
Implementing a physician/health care facility volunteer program through which an additional 159,000 uninsured patients would be assigned to a primary or specialty care physician, with access to free specialty care, labs and inpatient hospital care.
Creating a registry of free prescription drugs and allowing retail establishment pharmacies to sell prescription drugs at a minimal cost, such as $4.
Making Health Care More Affordable
Helping hospitals and doctors’ offices convert to Electronic Medical Records, boosting evidence-based diagnosis and treatment protocols, and encouraging Telemedicine expansion.
Permitting health insurers to withhold payment to providers in the event of a medical error, and allowing employers to establish “Healthy Living Committees” qualifying for insurance discounts.
Providing funding of a critical cost-saver – the reduction of health care-associated infections.
Expanding Insurance Coverage
Providing “Mini-Cobra” coverage for small business employers, creating a high-risk pool for individuals who cannot access other coverage, and extending the option of dependent coverage to age 30. (Nearly half of uninsured Pennsylvanians are age 18-34.)
Provide $5 million in state tax credits for the use of Health Savings Accounts.
The 507,000 Pennsylvanians served by the $100 million plan is more than double the number projected to be covered after five years under Gov. Rendell’s $1.4 billion health care proposal, and almost four times the number projected to be covered in the second year.

If you have a moment, let me know what you think of this plan. Do you think government should be doing more? Less? I look forward to hearing from you.

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