State Expansions: Pennsylvania

Since January 2007, Governor Rendell has been championing his Prescription for Pennsylvania proposal to significantly expand health coverage for low- and middle-income families. The Prescription for Pennsylvania plan includes a public-private coverage partnership called Cover All Pennsylvanians (CAP), a cost-containment agenda, and a quality improvement platform.

For an in-depth look at Governor Rendell's expansion proposal, see Pennsylvania's 2007 Health Care Proposal: Prescription for Pennsylvania. (Families USA, July 2007)

The plan has since been moving through the legislature in separate bills. On March 17, 2008, the House of Representatives passed SB 1137 and sent it to the Senate. The bill included the Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (ABC) plan that would subsidize the purchase of health insurance by uninsured individuals earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($35,200 for a family of three in 2008), and it would also subsidize small businesses that employ low-wage workers and provide group health insurance coverage. The House also passed HB 2005, which would reform the private health insurance market for small businesses and individuals. The bill includes provisions to:

• Prohibit insurers from setting premiums based on pre-existing conditions,
• Require insurers to spend at least 85 cents of every premium dollar collected on medical services (instead of on overhead and profit),
• Implement oversight of premium increases, and
• Standardize benefits to allow apples-to-apples comparisons.

Unfortunately, the session closed with much debate around the budget, and the Senate did not enact the health care legislation. Advocates are optimistic that lawmakers will push for the bills' passage when they return in the fall.

Pennsylvania Expansion Resources

• Summary: Pennsylvania Health Care Reform Act
• Governor Rendell's Office of Health Care Reform
• Consumer Health Coalition
• InsurePAnow.org
• Pennsylvania Health Law Project
• Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
• Philadelphia Unemployment Project
• House Bill 700

Pennsylvania in the News

• Pennsylvania Health Care Reform Effort Expires (The Patiot-News, October 8, 2008)
• Senate Acts to Help Uninsured Pennsylvanians (The Sentinel, September 25, 2008)
• State Aid for Malpractice Insurance up in Air (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 16, 2008)
• Rendell Pushes on Health Coverage (Philadelphia Enquirer, September 11, 2008)
• Proposals to Cover Uninsured Get Tied Up (The Patriot News, July 13, 2008)
• State Budget: Not All Healthy (Philadelphia Daily News, July 2, 2008)
• Individual Health Coverage Needs Reform, Proprietors Say (Central Penn Business Journal, June 27, 2008)
• Pa. gets permission to spend Medicaid money on adult autism (Associated Press, May 22, 2008)
• House OKs limits on health insurance (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 2, 2008) 
• All Pennsylvanians Need Health Insurance: The Legislature should create a public-private health system that works for everyone (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 12, 2008) 
• Pa. House passes health-insurance bill (Philadelphia Enquirer, March 18, 2008)
• Rendell offers ‘slow-growth’ budget (Philadelphia Enquirer, February 6, 2008) 
• Rendell vows to press ahead on health care (Pittsburg Post-Gazette, January 13, 2008)
• Governor tries new approach to fund uninsured adults (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 9, 2007)

For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.

[Return to map]