Care For PA

Pennsylvanians deserve affordable, quality health care, and Pennsylvania's health care community is working hard to deliver it. The proposed state budget now making its way thorough the legislative process can serve to support or hinder this mission. Learn how you can help to protect your community's care.

The state budget is now nearing the final stage, with a deadline for passage of June 30. A key area being watched closely by concerned citizens and the state's health care community is health care--specifically the Medicaid program, which covers one in seven Pennsylvanians.

In the original plan proposed by the governor in February, the administration called for $78 million in cuts to state funds, which results in a loss of an additional $93 million in cuts to federal matching funds, both of which are used to pay hospitals for the care that they provide to Pennsylvania's Medicaid patients. This would leave hospitals in the precarious position of continuing to provide the care, but being further under paid by the administration (only 77 cents out of every dollar).

Concerned citizens and Pennsylvania's health care community expressed outrage with the administration's familiar action.

In last year's proposed budget, the governor also called for massive Medicaid cuts (about $383 million). After some five months of public outcry, the governor agreed to restore about half the cuts, noting in a Philadelphia Daily News article that "Changes like that would have dramatically hurt Pennsylvanians...�?.

Pennsylvania's hospital community couldn't agree more. Even though it's a year later, cutting Medicaid funds will still dramatically hurt Pennsylvanians.

Fortunately, others saw massive flaws with this year's budget plan proposed by the administration, so instead of adopting it as a starting point to negotiate a final state budget, lawmakers in the House of Representatives said "no thanks�? and reintroduced the current year's budget as the starting point for negotiating next year's spending plan. It passed 184-14.

Even though the House plan does not include cuts to Medicaid, there is great concern that as the plan moves closer to the June 30 deadline that the administration and some lawmakers may try to again propose cutting Medicaid funds for hospitals to fund other programs.

It's crucial that members of the health care and business communities, as well as other concerned citizens, help to protect the care in their community by asking lawmakers to "protect the current budget proposal and ensure that no amendments would be added that could hurt Pennsylvanians' access to health care.�? The "How You Can Help Sidebar�? (at right) tells you about a quick, easy way to let lawmakers know that you care about Pennsylvania's health care community and that they should, too.

In addition, there are other ways you can let people in your community know that you care about Pennsylvania's health care:

• Talk to friends and neighbors about the importance of strong health care in your community and the importance of protecting it.


• Consider sending a letter to the editor or an op-ed to your local paper expressing concerns about potential cuts to health care in the state budget.


• Consider learning more about the strengths and importance of Pennsylvania's health care by viewing a series of "fact sheets�? produced by The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvanians deserve affordable, quality health care, and Pennsylvania's health care community is working hard to deliver it. However, without reasonable reimbursement from government and other payors (such as insurance companies), Pennsylvania's providers can't invest in state-of-the-art information technology and improved facilities, hire and retain an adequate workforce, provide community services and programs, and continue to provide care that's among the best in the nation.

Without reasonable payment for the services they provide, Pennsylvanians stand to pay the ultimate price. Help protect your community's care--log on to PatientAccess.org today.

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