Chuck Pennacchio
A single-payer health care plan will save Pennsylvania families, businesses and tax payers $17 billion annually while providing comprehensive health care to all, according to an economic impact study released today.
Commissioned by Health Care for All PA, a statewide non-profit organization, the study was conducted by University of Massachusetts - Amherst professor of economics Gerald Friedman, Ph.D.
It compares the cost of the current for-profit health insurance model in Pennsylvania under which provider choice is limited and health services are rationed by health insurance companies to that of a consumer-driven health care system which gives people freedom to choose their own doctors, hospitals and health care providers.
The legislation to create this single-payer system will be re-introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate (Senate Bill 400) on March 19 by Senator Jim Ferlo. The name of this state-based, consumer-driven health care system will be The Pennsylvania Health Care Plan.
Some of the important advantages of The Pennsylvania Health Care Plan are:
Comprehensive coverage for every resident of Pennsylvania, including dental, vision, mental health and prescription drug services;
Eliminates the need for hospitals to absorb the cost of care for the uninsured;
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