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For Immediate Release
6/10/08
HealthNET PA
IMPROVING HEALTH CARE ACCESS
Senate Bill 5 (Erickson) – Community-Based Health Care Program
Establishes a program under which the Department of Health will provide
grants to community-based health care clinics that provide "medical homes" for
the uninsured. The program will be funded in part through an EITC-type credit
for businesses which would receive tax credits for supporting community clinics.
Approximately $50 million would be allocated to expand services
to 175,000 new patients to provide integrated care to uninsured
low-income individuals.
Community-based health care clinics provide the uninsured with a medical home
that emphasizes a partnership among the patient, physician, nurses, and clinic
staff. These health clinics become the place where patients are known,
recognized, supported, and where they find a centralized base for medical care
and connection to other medical and supportive community services.
Many health clinics embrace this comprehensive approach to health care and
share a commitment to the community as well as ensuring quality care for the
underserved.
Health clinics provide high-quality and cost-effective health care regardless
of patients' insurance status or ability to pay. They also help to reduce the
use of costly hospital emergency visits, and avoidable hospital admissions.
Senate Bill 1450 (Brubaker) – Specialty Physicians Network
Creates a physician, hospital and ancillary partner volunteer program, known
as Project Access, 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. The program would be
administered by the Department of Health, and funded at $4 million.
The physician volunteer program, modeled after the national Project Access
model, would provide a system of healthcare for low income uninsured patients in
a particular region that uses an organized physician volunteer component to
leverage alignment of existing healthcare and related resources in the
community.
Participating physicians, hospitals, or other partners who sign up would
determine their level of participation by agreeing to donate their services to
see a set number of patients per year. The average caseload would be 10 – 20
patients per group.
Patients would be required to utilize all current resources (Medical
Assistance, Medication Plans, etc.) prior to enrollment in the program.
Senate Bill 1451 (Browne) – Continuing Medical Education Credits
Provides continuing education credits for health care providers who
volunteer at health clinics and in their communities for uninsured and
low-income residents. Health care providers would include doctors, nurses,
nurse practitioners, physician assistants and dentists.
Senate Bill 1452 (Corman) – Physician Loan Forgiveness Program
Establishes a Physician Loan Forgiveness Program in the Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency to increase efforts aimed at the recruitment and
retention of physicians in the Commonwealth.
$10 million annually has been designated for the program.
Physicians must practice in Pennsylvania for at least seven years to be eligible
for up to $75,000 of loan forgiveness. This will assist up to 1500 new
doctors and dentists to stay in PA.
Full and part-time medical and osteopathic doctors as well as dentists are
eligible for loans. The program is based upon a loan repayment of 10% in the
first year of medical service and 15% per year for the following six years.
Preference for acceptance into the loan forgiveness program will be given to
those physicians who have completed their training in the Commonwealth and agree
to practice in a medically underserved area or in a primary care health
professional shortage area.
Senate Bill 379 (Vance) – Low-Cost Prescription Drugs
Eliminates predatory pricing provisions to allow for the sale of low-cost
prescription drugs at retail establishment pharmacies.
This would permit a pharmacy to sell certain prescription drugs for a minimal
amount such as $4.
Only 9 states currently do not permit prescriptions to be sold below cost.
Senate Bill 1455 (McIlhinney) – Free Drug Registry Program
Creates an internet program in the Department of Health to assist low-income
uninsured individuals in accessing prescription assistance programs. Staff
would assist persons with completion of the applications and required
documentation for submission. This would apply to long-term medications.
In addition, the State Board of Pharmacy would create a drug registry of free
and low-cost pharmaceuticals donated by drug manufacturers and pharmacies and
made available in the Commonwealth for dispensing by physicians and clinics to
low-income, uninsured patients.
$1 million would be designated for funding these programs.
Act 14 of 2008 (Wonderling) – Cancer Drug Repository
Establishes a cancer drug repository in Pennsylvania to help uninsured
patients and those in need gain access to safe, unused cancer medications.
Cancer patients who are uninsured or underinsured can now access these
medications through a network of participating pharmacies and medical clinics.
Under this new law, only medications maintained by a health care facility are
currently able to be donated to a participating health care facility, medical
clinic or pharmacy. Only medications in their original, sealed, and
tamper-resistant packaging can be accepted and dispensed.
Donations must also be accompanied by a cancer drug repository donor form
that is signed by the donor or that person's authorized representative.
Medication used for pain, anxiety, and sleep cannot be donated according to
federal law.
MAKING HEALTH CARE MORE AFFORDABLE
Senate Bill 8 (Wonderling) – Electronic Medical Records
Creates the Medical Safety Automation Fund (M-SAF) Act, which would provide
grants to health care providers and regional health information organizations to
implement medical safety automation systems. This would be funded with $10
million that would assist and enable hospital and physician office
conversion to the use of electronic medical records, including incentives for
the use of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment protocols.
Senate Bill 819 (Wonderling) – Telemedicine Expansion
Creates the Telemedicine Act to permit physicians licensed in another
jurisdiction to receive medical data and radiology images for a patient located
in Pennsylvania for purposes of interpreting the data to consult, diagnose or
treat that patient.
Senate Bill 1411 (D. White) – Nonpayment for Medical Errors
Permits health insurers to withhold payment to providers in the event of a
preventable serious adverse event. A preventable serious adverse event is
described as a negative consequence of care that results in unintended injury or
illness that could have been anticipated and prepared for, but that occurs
because of an error and results in the patient's death, loss of a body part,
disability, or loss of bodily function.
Senate Bill 1267 (Armstrong) – Healthy Living Discounts
Allows employers to establish a "Healthy Living Committee" (HLC) to help
employees live longer and healthier lives; promote health and wellness; and
reduce premium costs. The Insurance Department would establish qualifications
and certify HLCs. Group health insurers would provide a 5 percent discount on
premium rates to employers with HLCs.
Act 52 (Erickson) – Reducing Health Care-Associated Infections
Provides $10 million to fund electronic surveillance systems designed
to eliminate the occurrence of health-care associated infections. Requires
hospitals, nursing homes and ambulatory surgical facilities to implement
internal infection control plans that will improve the health and safety of
patients and healthcare workers.
Senate Bill 1304 (D. White) – Blues Merger Oversight
Ensures proper oversight and review of the proposed merger between Highmark,
Inc. and Independence Blue Cross (IBC) while establishing a clear definition of
social mission obligation for all Blues Plans. Provides the Insurance
Department with oversight authority prescribed in the Insurance Company Holding
Act and protects the authority of the Attorney General to review the proposed
merger.
Establishes a formal process for the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
and House Insurance Committee to provide recommendations to the Insurance
Department on the proposed merger and prohibits the Insurance Department from
making a final determination on the merger until the standing committees'
comments are received and adequately reviewed by the department.
EXPANDING INSURANCE COVERAGE
Senate Bill 1422 (D. White) – Mini-Cobra Coverage for Employers with 2 to
19 Employees
Extends continuation of a group health insurance policy for a former
employee and their dependents who are no longer eligible for his small group
policy. This will make this option available to approximately 150,000
individuals who work for employers with 2 to 19 employees and who change jobs.
Senate Bill 1453 (Corman) – Extending the Insurance Option for Adult
Dependent Children
Offers parents the option to purchase insurance coverage for dependent
individuals up to the age of 30. At the option of the policyholder, coverage
could be extended to dependent individuals who are not married, have no
dependents, are residents of the Commonwealth or enrolled as a full-time student
at an institution of higher education, and are not provided insurance coverage
or eligible for government benefits. Insurers would be able to determine
increases in the premium to cover this additional benefit. This would apply to
new contracts and contract renewals 90 days after the immediate effective date
of this act. Having such an option could assist approximately 15,000 young
adults. Nearly half of uninsured Pennsylvanians are age 18 to 34.
Senate Bill 1454 (Folmer) – High-Risk Pools
Creates a High-Risk Pool as an alternative for individuals with severe
health conditions to obtain affordable health insurance. Establishes a governing
board to be appointed by the Governor and General Assembly, which would include
insurers, health care experts, the business community, and members of the
general public. Requires the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Pool (PHIP) Board to
hire an administering insurer - through competitive bid - to manage the pool.
Allows an individual (and their dependents) who are not otherwise eligible
for Medicaid or other government programs to participate in PHIP if they have
been refused coverage from at least two health insurers or have been offered
coverage from at least two health insurers at rates higher than that offered by
PHIP. Directs the Insurance Department to annually determine an individual
standard rate for health insurance premiums in the Commonwealth. Caps
individual premiums at a maximum of 150 percent of the individual standard rate.
Allocates $10 million annually to PHIP to fund the cost of coverage
beyond the individual premium. Any excess funds would be held in escrow to
offset future premium costs. Directs PHIP to offer various benefit plans that
include a 'mandate free' policy as well as a high deductible policy compatible
with Health Savings Accounts. It is estimated that a high risk pools could
assist approximately 8000 individuals.
Senate Bill 1182 (Folmer) – State Tax Credits for Health Savings Accounts
Provides $5 million in state tax credits for small businesses that
contribute to employee Heath Savings Accounts. HSAs are similar to 401(k)
retirement plans, but rather than allowing people to save for future retirement
expenses, they allow people to save for future medical expenses.
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