Why we need to enact Cover All Pennsylvanians in the Pennsylvania Legislature

Health Care is the top domestic issue in the United States according to various polls.

An April 2007 Gallup Poll found health care to be the top issue, other than the Iraq war, to those polled.

In a February 2007 CBS/NY Times national poll 60% of those polled said they would pay more taxes to ensure that all Americans had health insurance including 46% of Republicans. 

80% said it was more important to provide universal access to health insurance than to extend the tax cuts of recent years.

64% said the government should guarantee health care for all.

The Governor’s health plan, the Prescription for Pennsylvania (Rx4PA) is a bold attempt to make those sentiments a reality in Pennsylvania.

While the whole plan is important, the Cover All Pennsylvanians (CAP) program, which offers affordable insurance to most Pennsylvanians, is the key to the plan and must be supported.  Nearly 800,000 PA adults are currently uninsured.

A movement is being build to support the Rx4PA which will grow in the next year.  We plan on taking this legislation to PA citizens all over the state and making this health care proposal a major public issue in the next year leading into the 2008 elections.

We think the funding mechanism for CAP is fair and reasonable.  It calls for sharing the costs of the insurance product between the uninsured, the state and federal governments and employers who do not offer insurance. 

We realize business groups have been opposing the Fair Share assessment, but we think it is fair that larger employers, who do not provide coverage, make a contribution or offer insurance.

Other sources of funding could also be supported, but the passage of the CAP program is totally necessary to protect our citizens and to do the will of the majority of the public.

Prepared by the Philadelphia Health Care Coalition, c/o Philadelphia Unemployment Project 1201 Chestnut St. Room 702 Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-557-0822 www.Philaup.org