http://voicesweb.org/node/3822

Joe Hoeffel, Candidate for Pennsylvania Governor speaks to Voices
Submitted by voicesweb on March 9, 2010 - 3:37pm
by Jordan Toronto

In mid-February, Voices had an exclusive interview with Joe Hoeffel, a Democratic candidate running for Governor of Pennsylvania. Hoeffel has served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania’s 13th district, and is currently vice-chair for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.

The paragraphs summarize the views expressed by Hoeffel in portions of the interview that are not directly quoted. They are not the options of Voices or of the writer.

Joe Hoeffel can see why voters are scared, in this unstable economy, but believes that makes it all the more important for the democrats in office to step up to the challenge.

Last night at the broad Street ministry Congressmen Sestak was the guest at a town hall on health care. Overall the event was pretty civil, especially compared to the one hosted by Spector. Not as many true crazies, that's not to say that there wasn't vocal opposition, and a little rowdiness even occurred. Ultimately Sestak handled himself well and fought off some misconceptions: there will be no rationing of care, no euthanization of the elderly or the infirmed. The Public Option is just that, an OPTION.

While Temple has gotten away with closing Northeastern Hospital--against the life and death concerns of doctors, community members and health care experts--it seems like the after effects of the NEH closure, and more broadly the privatized healthcare system in our city, are still being felt. In this audio interview done by Media Mobilizing Project's Labor Justice Radio, Megan Williamson interviews an anonymous nurse at Hahnemann hospital shortly after a vote nurses took last week on whether to join the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP).

In the 2nd presidential debate last week, a question of fundamental importance was asked: is healthcare care a right, a responsibility, or a privilege?

Well I looked up the three words in the dictionary and here they are:
Right: That which is just, morally good, legal, proper, or fitting.
Responsibility: Something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden.
Privilege: A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste.

I'm pasting in our press release, below, but also wanted to just say thanks to all those of you who have joined us in the fight to end mandatory overtime for health care workers in PA--the grassroots pressure that was provided by our progressive allies, along with the voices of thousands of health care workers--finally lifted our bill over the time, in the final days of this legislative session.

(HARRISBURG, PA) – Seven years after launching their campaign to end mandatory overtime for nurses and other direct patient caregivers, members of SEIU Healthcare are anxious to celebrate their victory.

The Pennsylvania Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass a House Bill 834, a bill restricting mandatory overtime for nurses and other caregivers. Forced overtime has been shown to increase medical errors and put patients at risk. It’s also a leading factor in many nurses’ decision to leave the bedside.

Last night Sarah Palin did an admirable job refusing to answer the questions she was asked and instead sticking to the repitition of scripted, high level responses. Interestingly for healthcare wonks like me, healthcare was one of the few areas where she actually engaged on a policy question with any sort of specificity - and the response served to reinforce the misguided nature of the McCain / Palin policy. The following clip is pretty enlightening...

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1832907349

A recent study by Families USA shows that healthcare premiums for working families in Pennsylvania have increased by almost 90% since 2000. The average cost for family health coverage is now $12,513. At the same time wages are stagnating and companies are shifting an ever greater portion of insurance costs onto their employees. McCain's plan would significantly exacerbate this problem by eviscerating the employer sponsored model of health insurance and forcing people into the more expensive individual insurance market. Here is an article that does a good job describing what McCain's plan would do http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/29/125427/457?new=true

By contrast, Obama has set forth a proposal that would help alleviate this burden on working families while also expanding coverage for children and the uninsured. The following blog does a good job of contrasting this plan to McCain's http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jared-bernstein/guts-brains-and-health-ca_....

Marian Wright Edelman, the founder of the Children's Defense Fund, recently described in an interview the catestrophic impact McCain's healthcare policies would have on healthcare coverage for children. Scary!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-tucker/childrens-defense-fund-fo_b_1...

It must be wonderful for us to be young, worry free, and, of course, healthy, but our nation is not healthy. Believe it or not, 2008 is a momentous time for us. Aside from the trivialities, there are serious issues involved in this presidential campaign. For the insured/uninsured, employee/employer, and for that matter, each and everyone, healthcare policies proposed by the two presidential campaigns could be the make or break experience when adopted in the near future. Obama proposes affordable coverage for all citizens; McCain's policy can worsen the status quo, letting individuals sink or swim in the crooked market place.

Yes we can do better, much better! For your own health, for your family's health, and the health of the nation, cherish your vote!

A Time brief by Joe Klein contrasting the Healthcare policies by Obama and McCain:
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/mccains_health_care_tax_incre...

Some examples of where America is today:

No one has to tell you that our healthcare system is broken. We all know it. We already live it. We pay too much in premiums, we are denied care, and hundreds of thousands of us can't afford insurance at all.

Thankfully, there is a solution just within our grasp. Governor Rendell has proposed sweeping legislation to solve the healthcare crisis in Pennsylvania, insure more than 275,000 uninsured people, and give the state the power to keep down your premiums and costs to employers.

This plan - called PA ABC - passed the House this year, but is now stuck in the Senate, blocked by the Republican Party leadership.

We can pass healthcare reform this fall. It is within our grasp. But Governor Rendell needs your help.

Here's how you can help pass healthcare reform:

1. Call your State Senator and express your strong support of SB 1137 and HB 2005. (More information is below.)

(To highlight BD's point)

This Thursday, join nurses, doctors, patients and Americans of every stripe protesting in memory of the countless victims of the insurance industry. Protests are being held around the country on a day when 38,000 health insurance lobbyists are having their annual convention in San Francisco.

Healthcare Yes! Health Insurance No!

Guaranteed, Universal, Single-Payer Healthcare Now!

Hands Off Our Healthcare!

RALLY - PHILADELPHIA
Two Liberty Place at 16th and Chestnut
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 12:00 noon

Our Healthcare System is Not Working! Over 47 million are uninsured; millions more inadequately covered. Yet, the U.S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries in its performance, according to the World Health Organization.

In the present economic downturn, many states have decreased their spending, particularly in the area of public health. That's why it's gratifying to see City Council, the Department of Public Welfare and the General Assembly working together to bring more dollars into the state so we can actually improve care for the Uninsured and Medicaid eligible population in Philadelphia.

Quick Fact! Just because a person has Medical Assistance Health Coverage, that doesn't mean they can find a doctor! Most doctors around here refuse to accept Medical Assistance, that's why the Federally Qualified Health Centers and the City's Health Centers are so important.

Council took the first step yesterday to move a plan that will move millions more dollars into our hospitals and health centers. PUP is especially excited because the Department of Health believes that these new funds should enable them to bring wait times at City Health Centers down to less than 30 days and improve health care by implementing electronic records throughout all city facilities (including jails and youth centers).

More details in the jump!

The economy is tumbling. The AP reported this morning that jobs have dropped for a year now.

The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits soared last week.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that claims for unemployment benefits rose by 35,000 to 380,000. Private economists had expected claims would rise by a smaller 18,000.

The story goes on to suggest that we're due to lose another 70K across our economy.

Here in PA, we've got a chance to extend healthcare coverage to many of the people who will be laid off here, at affordable prices, and thereby ease the suffering of many workers out of work. It's money that's stopping it.

Smokers have been taxed here, among other things, to create a fund that cuts malpractice premiums (at the very least) in half across PA. We collected much too much tax money for that fund and now the state wants authorization to reallocate part of that money into paying for the uninsured.

With another dime per pack on cigarettes and reallocating this money that's just sitting, we could cover many of the uninsured here. In a few years, I believe, the program would reach all of them.

The man-on-the-street will have a lot less money in his pocket, soon, when he loses his job and when a general economic tightening reins in the hours, the bonuses, the overtime, the promotions, the raises and the tips or commissions of others. We can, at least, insure that he remains whole and healthy through this downturn.

The Senate R's are coming out with their own plan this week. It's not likely to cut a break to consumers. They are more than content to let their sick constituents get sicker and destroy the liquidity of working families who catch a bad break in order to stay tight with doctors and hospitals. We can't let them do it. SB 1137 is the right vehicle to maintain health through the coming recession and it should simply pass.

A coalition of Democrats and Republicans who really support small businesses is forming to make certain that you can get health insurance at every phase of your life. They should soon send a bill to the Senate that will make our health insurance market make sense.

Can you think of an industry that makes its money by avoiding customers? Doesn't that seem like a really weird concept? Well, there is one: the health insurance industry. Private insurers, like Aetna, carefully screen their customers to keep the ones most likely to have health problems out, a.k.a., "cherry picking." They look for small companies filled with healthy, young workers and offer them great plans. Then, they just rake in premiums, because even at reasonable rates they are making money because the young turks don't get sick.

They can do this because Pennsylvania permits insurers to set rates based for an employer based on the health status of its employees. So, Blue Cross & Blue Shield have to insure everyone. All the middle-aged and older workers end up with the Blues, while Aetna and others steal the healthier workers. By "steal," I mean they rob these larger pools of the healthy workers who bring costs down. That's the same trade-off we've always had with insurance. I pay in now while I'm healthy so that, in exchange, I won't have to pay in so much when I'm older.

That's not how it works anymore. Click "Read More" to find out what legislators are trying to do about it.

Two editorials today in both of our city's main dailies highlight the hope for Final passage of much needed coverage for the Uninsured.

Editorial: Covering the Uninsured, The Inquirer

A SICK PLAN, The Daily News

Both papers say that the House should approve "Access to Basic Care" in S.B. 1137. That means they should permit the Dems to make their technical amendments (they dropped a couple brackets in there) and send it to the Senate.

That means you, Rep. Perzel, who stepped out before the final vote on the amendment that put "Access to Basic Care" in the bill. Rep. John Taylor, a Philadelphia Republican who usually supports the working poor on issues like this, was not around last week. Hopefully, today, he'll be back in the Capitol and will support the House Democrats new plan. Kenney and O'Brien are on the side of right and justice. Speaking of the Democrats, though: Democrats, none of you can call in sick this week. It would be more irony than I can really handle if people lost their chance to pay for doctor visits because one of you got the flu.

Up for first consideration in the House today, as well, is HB 2005, which reforms the market for insurance purchasers for small groups of people -- the small and medium sized business. This legislation would make it impossible to deny coverage to individuals because they have a health problem (the "pre-existing condition"). In other words, sick people will still be able to buy coverage. Insurers won't be able to jack up people’s rates based on their medical history, and the cost of covering someone will be based only on their age and the average cost of covering a person in that area or community, modified by the individual's age.

HB 2005 will also lower costs. When the uninsured get covered and when hospitals quit making so many mistakes, insurers won’t have to pay out as much money for medical bills anymore. Under HB 2005, the state can make sure that insurers can’t keep the difference. Instead, they’ll have to lower premiums, making insurance less expensive for individuals and easier for employers to provide.

[If anyone asks you, the Deluca Amendment is good and the Micozzie amendment masquerades as compromise while effectively gutting the bill - if in doubt, pass it it as it is.]

More details on the plan, after the jump. So Jump!