(Philadelphia - 3/4/08) - Outside the City of Philadelphia's Neighborhood Health Center #10 Tuesday, Philadelphia leaders gathered to call on the Northeast House Delegation to support Cover All Pennsylvanians [CAP]. "As a person working without insurance, I'm at risk every day of losing my job because of an injury or sickness whose care I won't be able to pay for," said, Andre Butler, Chair of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project Board and member of the Health Center #10 Community Board.

Speaking through a representative, Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity, Don Schwarz, MD, said in a written statement, "It is for this and many other reasons that I am standing with you all today, as health care is being debated in Harrisburg, to affirm my support for CAP, Cover All Pennsylvanians, a proposed health insurance package that would prove health insurance to the uninsured in Pennsylvania."

A hearing of the State House of Representatives Appropriations Committee considered the benefits and funding sources for CAP this afternoon. CAP would cover doctor visits, tests, hospitals stays and prescriptions. Most of the funding would come from existing pools, with a slight increase in tobacco taxes covering the rest. A vote on CAP and reforms in the small group insurance market is expected in the State House next week.

Lance Haver, Consumer Affairs Advocate, said, "That any legislator with high quality insurance paid for by the taxpayer would stand in the way of an affordable plan is a crime and a shame. Their insured constituents won't pay any more money. In fact, it should even have the effect of lowering their health insurance premiums."

According to the Community Health Database of the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia has approximately 137,000 uninsured, working-age adults. Approximately 21,000 of them live in the Northeast.

Donald McGrogan, Director of Field Operations for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 spoke of the Philadelphia Inquirer's report that 16% of Wal-Mart employees get health insurance through Medicaid. "We do have a problem when our employers and their employees end up subsidizing their competitors who are among the richest corporations in the world. Responsible employers and their workers no longer can be asked to shoulder the entire load for their employees while at the same time subsidizing their competition.

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The Pennsylvania Health Access Network [PHAN] supports comprehensive health system reforms that adhere to the following principles: Access to quality health care for all Pennsylvanians; Access to affordable, quality health insurance for all Pennsylvanians; Effective controls to keep health care and premiums reasonably priced and Shared responsibility for the cost of health care and premiums among all stakeholders (individuals, employers and the public sector). http://www.pahealthaccess.org/

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