We had a small victory for AdultBasic today. But there is still more to be done to insure that the program continues until it is no longer necessary.
The Adult Basic Program
Health Care For America Now joined five events around the state led by the Pennsylvania Health Access Network in support of Adult Basic, Pennsylvania’s health insurance program for 47,000 people who cannot afford health insurance but whose incomes are not low enough to qualify for Medicaid. AdultBasic is inadequate insurance, but it provides a lifeline for many people. And over 350,000 are on a waiting list for the program.
AdultBasic has been funded in large part by community reinvestment funds contributed by Pennsylvania’s Blues—mostly from the two largest Independence Blue Cross and Highmark. The Blues agreed to make these contributions in the first year of the Rendell administration, when it was apparent that they were amassing surpluses in excess of the reserves they needed and questions were raised about whether they were meeting their obligation as non-profit charitable organizations to reinvest in the community. That agreement expires at the end of this year.
So health care activists have been demanding that the Blues continue funding Adult Basic until federal health care reform is fully implemented in 2014.
The Blues Action Today
Today, largely in response to the efforts of Pennsylvania’s health care activists led by the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, the Blues made a critical concession: they agreed to extend funding AdultBasic for an additional six months, to June 2011. That decision shows us two things, that the Blues have acknowledged their responsibility to provide funding for AdultBasic and that they have the financial means to meet that responsibility.
HCAN is gratified by the Blues announcement. We hope to engage the Blues in discussions that will result in their agreement to continue funding AdultBasic until it is no longer necessary. And while waiting for that agreement, we will continue to work with our partners to enact legislation that requires them to do so.
Dan Onorato speaks up
The other good news for health care activists today is that Dan Onorato, the Democratic candidate for Governor spoke at the PHAN rally in Pittsburgh in support of continued funding of AdultBasic by the Blues. He said, "Asking insurance companies to keep over 45,000 of our fellow citizens from losing their health care for just a few more years is both fair and reasonable.” I asked the Tom Corbett campaign for Mr. Corbett's views on the AdultBasic issue. So far I have not heard back but will let you know where he stands when they contact me. Mr. Corbett is on record in opposition to the federal health care reform enacted in March and has joined other Republican Attorneys General in a lawsuit that is seeking to declare the law unconstitutional