For Immediate Release
9/18/08

- Sen. Erickson
- Sen. Baker

Committee Approves Erickson’s Community-Based Health Care Program

Plan to provide “medical homes” for 175,000 uninsured and low-income Pennsylvanians part of Senate GOP HealthNET PA initiative.

Harrisburg – The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26), today unanimously approved a major piece of a comprehensive health care package designed to improve and expand health care access and affordability in Pennsylvania.

The Committee approved Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Senator Erickson, establishing the Community-Based Health Care Program which would provide grants for health care clinics across Pennsylvania. These clinics serve as comprehensive “medical homes” for low-income and uninsured individuals by providing primary health care services, including dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.  Clinics can also ease pressure on hospital emergency rooms.

“Community-based health care clinics provide the uninsured with a medical home that emphasizes a partnership among the patient, physician, nurses, and clinic staff,” said Erickson. “These health clinics become the place where patients are known, recognized, supported, and where they find a centralized base for health care services and connections 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 a patient’s insurance status or ability to pay.  Clinics also help to reduce the use of costly hospital emergency visits and avoidable hospital admissions.

The Community-Based Health Care Program is a key component of the 15-bill Senate GOP health care initiative, HealthNET PA -- 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.

“Today’s action represents an important step toward improving health care access and affordability by building on approaches that are working and doing it in a fiscally responsible way,” said Erickson.

Contact:

Michele Hansarick
717-787-1350

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