In October, the Philadelphia Inquirer covered the story of Karen Goroncy, a direct care worker who goes without health care coverage as she cares for those who need her help. In a follow up story last week, the Inquirer reported that a generous reader has offered to cover Karen’s costs of health insurance so that she can get the surgery she needs. Continue reading ‘PA Direct Care Worker Raises the Profile of Uninsured’
Archive for the 'Pennsylvania' Category
Since I started with the Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign a little over a year ago, it has become apparent that it is the stories, letters, and advocacy efforts of direct-care workers that ultimately resonate with policy makers as well as the public.
The article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Karen Goroncy and her lack of health insurance highlighted how it impacts her ability to care for her consumer. Melva William’s letter to the editor in response to Karen’s story voices her own fears about getting sick and not being able to continue to take care of her ailing mother due to her own lack of health insurance. It is these stories that provide a face for the HCHCW Campaign mission.
It is the passion that workers have about improving wages, benefits, and overall perception of their work and the industry that make a difference in our campaign. If it had not been for one hundred workers across the state who called their legislators back in March demanding that health care be made affordable and accessible, the health insurance reform legislation “PA ABC” may never have passed the House with such success. Next session, we’ll need that same passion to try and get an affordable health insurance plan passed by both Houses.
In order to continue these efforts, I am looking to meet direct-care workers who are willing to share their personal stories regarding health insurance, participate in “come care with me days” where they invite a policy maker to their place of work, and ultimately form a committee of workers from across the state who will work together to advocate for affordable and accessible health insurance the direct-care workforce.
In the next few months, I will be traveling to different nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, and the homes of direct-care workers to hold a series of brown bag lunches and small gatherings to talk with workers about the campaign and the variety of activities listed above. With the help of members from the Direct Care Worker Association, I have already scheduled several meetings and brown bag lunches for the fall, as well as collected several new stories to add to the campaign’s story bank.
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me, Simone Baer, at (412) 450-8080 or by email at sbaer@phinational.org. I’d love to talk with you about joining us in these activities and how your story can make a difference.
Simone Baer
PA Community Organizer
sbaer@phinational.org
The Pennsylvania Senate leadership did not allow a vote on any health care bills before leaving Harrisburg for the year, therefore precluding a vote on Pennsylvania Access to Basic Care (PA-ABC), a health care reform bill that would have provided health care and prescription drug benefits to more than 250,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians, including direct care workers.
Since the House approved PA-ABC last spring, the Senate has repeatedly criticized the plan for its failure to secure a long-term funding source beyond five years. More recently, as state revenues decreased and the economy collapsed, Senators were hesitant to support a major expansion of a public program like PA-ABC. The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign, along with other allied organizations, advocated that the possibility of having to cut funding for PA-ABC in five years should not deny thousands who need reliable health care now.
Funding for PA ABC was to come from health account surpluses, smokeless tobacco taxes, and federal Medicaid spending. PA-ABC failed not because of lack of funding but because special interest groups refused to support it.
By providing affordable health insurance, PA-ABC would have created a way for uninsured direct care workers get treatment that they may have delayed and allowed them to begin a pattern of primary care and prevention. Our entire health care system would have become more efficient as a result.
The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign will continue to work on this issue until meaningful health care reform becomes a reality. We encourage all direct workers, providers, and consumers in Pennsylvania to express their disappointment to their state Senators. You can reach your Senator by going to http://www.legis.state.pa.us/ and plugging in your zip code.
Tracy Lawless
Pennsylvania State Campaign Coordinator
Health Care for Health Care Workers
tlawless@phinational.org
An October 6, 2008 story from The Philadelphia Inquirer examines the challenges faced by a Pennsylvania home health aide who lacks health coverage. Read a snippet below and then follow the link to the full article: Continue reading ‘Story: A Caregiver Is Denied Medical Care’
This week Pennsylvania legislators will decide whether or not to increase access to affordable health care for 250,000 Pennsylvanians - including many direct-care workers - who have no health insurance.
We need your help today. Senate Republicans have not yet agreed to the plan passed by the House and agreed to by the Governor. Time is running out. If agreement is not reached by Friday, October 3rd, the clock will run out on this legislative session and this opportunity will be lost.
What can you do? Call or email your State Senator and ask him/her to support PA-ABC - the bill that will provide affordable health insurance for thousands of Pennsylvanians. Remind your State Senator that the funding set aside for this bill can only be used for health care – nothing else. You can find the name and contact information for your State Senator at http://www.pasen.gov/ Just enter your zip code in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
CALL or EMAIL your State Senator today!
Ask your Senator to support the bill to provide affordable health insurance to thousands of Pennsylvanians
Background: Pennsylvania currently has a subsidized health insurance program called adultBasic – but right now enrollment is full and there is a long waiting list. The Pennsylvania House and Governor Rendell have proposed to increase enrollment in adultBasic to 250,000 individuals over the next five years. The premium amount would depend on your income. The money to fund this program will come from a combination of existing tobacco taxes, contributions by Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance companies, the $500 million surplus in an existing state health fund, and federal matching funds. No new taxes would be involved and this funding can only be used for health care.
As someone who works in long term care and provides care for hundreds and thousands of consumers, you know how crucial it is to have accessible and affordable health care. Perhaps you or someone you know has delayed treatment for a serious medical condition because of lack of health insurance. You can make a difference. We urge you to call or email your Senator today!
Last week, the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, of which HCHCW-PA is member, held a rally in Harrisburg to call on the Pennsylvania State Senate to pass bills that would provide health insurance coverage to thousands of uninsured Pensylvania residents - including many direct-care workers.
Lori Michael, the owner of a home nursing care company in Schuylkill County and an advocate for HCHCW, cited unaffordable health coverage as a major business issue. Lori spoke about the impact the lack of affordable health insurance has on her ability to retain and recruit direct-care workers to serve the ever growing client base. “People in Pennsylvania want to age at home,” said Lori Michael, owner of Lori’s Angels in Schuylkill Haven. “We want to help them do that. We need help from state government.” The rally and Lori’s comments were covered in the Scranton Times and on PCN network.
PA State Senators are back in session and poised to take up health reform over the next two weeks. If you live in PA, take time now to call your take Senator and urge them to pass health care reform legislation this year. To find your Senator, visit http://www.pasen.gov/
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