Last month, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill (pdf) that would make affordable health care accessible to more Pennsylvanians, including thousands of direct-care workers. The vote was 118-81.
Tracy Lawless and Simone Baer of PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign have worked diligently over the past year, teaming with the state’s health care reform coalitions and people who have a stake in our long-term care system, to educate advocates and legislators on this issue. In the week before the House vote they jumped into even higher gear, making a tremendous grassroots push to reach direct-care workers and employers statewide, as well as general health care advocates in the western part of PA.
Tracy and Simone were extremely savvy in their approach, having matched everyone they called to their legislators in the weeks prior. While the House debated the bill on March 12, they watched the debate live on the Internet and called advocates when their representatives were speaking on the floor, asking them to phone or email and urge their representatives to vote for the bill.
Tracy, Simone, and Anna, their intern, talked to approximately 120 workers and employers and several hundred health care advocates who agreed to call their representative on the spot. Another 1,500 stakeholders and advocates received a phone call or email over the past two days from our super PA team.
The legislation that passed is built upon the current Adult Basic program in PA, but it eliminates the current long waiting list, which we know direct-care workers are on. It provides subsidies to individuals up to 200% of the federal poverty level - with the hope of increasing that to 250% with a new federal administration. Individuals who make more than that and small businesses can buy into the plan at full cost, which will be around $300 a month.
It’s estimated that the plan would insure around 215,000 Pennsylvanians. It wouldn’t cover all direct-care workers, but it would be a big step in the right direction.
The legislation now goes to the Senate. Meanwhile, Tracy has been working on an amendment that will expand the program to more Medicaid providers and their employees.
Congratulations to Tracy, Simone and Anna!
Allison Lee is the national campaign manager for PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign
alee@phinational.org
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