Archive for the 'Pennsylvania' Category

Last week U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) elevated the issue of health care reform when he hosted a series of town hall meetings around the state. Most recently in Kittanninng, PA, he took questions from 30 constituents in a room of 200 people. Hundreds more waited outside the community center unable to gain entrance. The majority of the questions were from people seriously concerned about health care and who favor reforms that will make coverage more accessible and affordable. Unfortunately, the news media only seemed to capture that rants of the opposition who addressed topics completely unrelated to health care reform.  

The Health Care for Health Care Workers Campaign worked with many of our Pennsylvania coalition partners to get people to attend the town hall meeting and to keep the focus on health care. Those gathering with us before the town hall were briefed on how to raise the importance of health care reform and encouraged to focus on the issues like affordability and the urgency to enact meaningful health care reform.

Those opposed to health care reform obviously have a completely different approach, one which we have seen over and over again is intended to derail reform, not contribute to a productive discussion.  We want to give our activists the tools and tips to let their voices be heard on this important issue. HCHCW  and its partners believe that town hall meeting should be a place for constructive dialogue between a Member of Congress and his or her constituents – not a shouting match. 

While it is difficult for direct-care workers to take time from their clients, when workers attend town hall meetings and tell their stories it brings home to our representatives that there are many health care workers who struggle to afford coverage (and many who have no coverage at all). Even if you were not able to attend a town hall meeting, you can still let your voices be heard by sending your senators and representative a message that health care reform that is good for America’s 3 million direct-care workers is good for America. 

Tracy Lawless
PA State Campaign Coordinator
tlawless@phinational.org

Senator Casey with direct-care workers at the annual conference

On July 24, Tracy Lawless, Pennsylvania Campaign Coordinator for HCHCW, participated in a 12-person roundtable discussion sponsored by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey.  Along with Lawless, representatives from the medical profession, the insurance industry, women’s health organizations, and small business were present to discuss quality affordable health care in America. 

Perhaps no profession has been affected more than the nation’s direct-care workers by the failures of America’s health care system. Currently, only four out of ten home and community-based workers are covered by their employers, and nearly 30 percent lack health coverage of any kind.  Recent studies show that because workers often cannot access coverage through their jobs, the direct care workforce has been shrinking at a time when we need more long-term caregivers than ever before.

“Currently, more than three million direct-care workers care for America’s elders and people with disabilities.  That number is expected to reach four million by 2016,” said Lawless.  “Without real health care reform, America will not have the long-term caregivers we will need in the very near future.”

Typically, members of this workforce make only $17,000 a year, making it difficult to afford current premiums.  Many also suffer from chronic health conditions due to the physical nature of the job, causing long-term care employers to pay high premiums as a “high risk” industry.  Further, these health conditions often require regular prescriptions and treatments.

To that end, Lawless is advocating for coverage that is affordable, excludes risk rating, and incorporates comprehensive benefits and easy enrollment.

“If we can make this health care reform initiative work for the nation’s three million direct care workers,” Lawless said, “it will work for all Americans.”

Allison Lee
National Campaign Manager
HCHCW
alee@phinational.org

“Quality jobs and a living wage are imperative to ensuring that aging and disabled Pennsylvanians receive quality care,” wrote Tracy Lawless, HCHCW PA Campaign Coordinator, in a letter to the editor published on Monday in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Current research shows that direct-care workers, although they love the work they do, are leaving the industry due to unfair wages and, particularly, a lack of health coverage. Direct-care workers are being forced to decide between caring for our most vulnerable population and caring for themselves and their families.” Continue reading ‘Letter to the Editor Highlights the Needs of Caregivers’

Congressman Jason Altmire and Tracy Lawless, HCHCW PA

On June 29, Congressman Jason Altmire held a meeting of his Health Care Advisory Board to discuss comprehensive health care reform. Currently, three House committees (Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor) are focusing on legislation to develop quality affordable health care for all Americans while controlling health care cost growth. Continue reading ‘HCHCW PA Weighs in on Federal Health Reform’

Last week the Pennsylvania House brought up  House Bill 1, a bill to expand the current adultBasic program to 85,000 uninsured adults who want and need access to affordable health insurance. The bill was debated in the full House and is awaiting final consideration and passage.  Continue reading ‘Health Reform Moves in PA’