In Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell Pushes New Health Care Plan Forward

Health care costs in Pennsylvania have soared and are at a 75 percent premium. Some cannot afford to pay these fees and instead go to the emergency room to seek treatment. According to PennPIRG, in the end, emergency room visits cost more, a cost that is shared by the entire system. Legislators in Pennsylvania are trying to resolve the health care issue by making health care more affordable in Pennsylvania. If the legislation passes, Pennsylvanians will no longer be forced to share the burden of emergency room payments. The legislation will also qualify many who were previously ineligible for health care benefits.

PennPIRG reports that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed two health care reform bills. The first makes affordable health care a possibility for those who make an income of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. This bill would make it unnecessary for currently unqualified citizens to seek treatment in the emergency room.

The second bill would limit health care providers' reasons for rejecting potential candidates. Currently, providers may reject candidates based upon their prior medical history. According to PennPIRG, In Rendell's new legislation, health care providers cannot reject an applicant due to previous illness or injury. This is a considerable accomplishment for health care reformers, considering that the Executive Summary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been known to report 71,788 cases of invasive cancer in one year. That is a number that could translate into enormous health care costs. It also could mean that many will be making emergency room visits that they cannot afford.

PennPIRG argues that high health care costs are the main reason for people filing for bankruptcy. This increases the burden of paying for health care costs across society. PennPIRG go on to say, "Health care costs also contribute to rising college tuition as universities struggle to provide coverage for their employees. The ability of businesses to hire new workers or pay their current workers more is also hindered by rising health care costs."