Under the PA Access to Basic Care Program
By Simone Oliver
Published: September 17, 2008
MT. AIRY. Mt. Airy resident Georgina Miller, 28, is pulling a double major in psychology and early education at Community College and makes a living by teaching pre-kindergarten.
Health Care rally Sept. 15, 2008
But doing something she loves comes at a cost. Like many who work in the child care industry, Miller is unable to afford health insurance.
"I can't call out of from work because I need the money to cover medical expenses," Miller said. "So I come to work and risk exposing the children I love to whatever cold I may be suffering from."
Miller is one of the people that the Southeast PA Health Access Network rallied for yesterday at Broad and Vine streets in a push to get lawmakers in Harrisburg to approve a new insurance program that would bring affordable health insurance to working individuals and families that don't make enough to afford health care.
In February, the state House approved the Access to Basic Care program which provides those who make less than $31,000 a year with health insurance for less than $50 a month. The bill has been held up by Republicans in the state Senate.
Gov. Rendell called last week for the Legislature to lenghthen its calendar and said progress was being made on the health care debate.
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Under the PA Access to Basic Care program
• Adults who make $31,000 or less would pay no more than $50/month for health insurance.
• A family of four with a combined income of $64,000 or less would also be eligible for a $50/month rate.
• Insurance companies would not be allowed to disqualify people from insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
• small employers who pay their workers an average of $15 an hour or less would be given subsidized insurance for their workers, at just $155 a month per employee.
• $42 million in grants would be offered to small employers already offering a health plan to help them cover their insurance costs.
• ABC would be financed by existing adultBasic funding from Tobacco Settlement and Community Health Reinvestment dollars and surplus funds in the Health Care Provider Retention Account, along with federal matching funds.