Senator Don White, Chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance
Committee, issued the following statement in response to the House Democrat
health care proposal passed by the House of Representatives today.
"While I am pleased that the House Democratic Caucus has
conceded the Governor's universal health care plan is untenable, I have
serious concerns about the scope and costs of their proposal.
"My concerns over the feasibility and sustainability of
the proposal certainly weren't answered when the Chairman of the House
Insurance Committee was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as saying, 'We
have not decided how to fund it yet.' This General Assembly cannot, in good
conscience, consider this type of extensive and highly complicated proposal
without having all of the details in place – especially the funding. How
can we support a program based on money we simply don't have?
"The House Democrats are looking at tapping the MCARE
fund. As I have stated before, the most appropriate use of the reserve
funding would be to advance efforts to phase out the MCARE program. There is
no way this phase out will ever occur if Pennsylvania taps this money as a
source of funding for expensive new entitlement programs. In fact, I urge
the House to concur in House Bill 489, so that the MCARE Abatement program
for this year can continue.
"I am also concerned about the process by which the House
Democrats hatched this proposal. Responding to serious public concerns, the
Senate and the House have enacted several significant rule changes for the
2007-08 Legislative Session to provide more transparency in state
government. This proposal flies in the face of those efforts since there
were no public hearings and no provisions for public comment before this
proposal was announced and fast tracked for a House vote. It didn't even
follow the committee process.
"Finally, I find it disingenuous for the House Democrats
to be considering billions of dollars in new spending when the Governor
proposed a state budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09 that flat lines, cuts, or
even eliminates state funding for many important health care programs and
services. How can we consider new health care spending when the Governor has
proposed eliminating the $5 million for Obstetrics and Neonatal Services in
the Department of Public Welfare Budget and the $5 million in funding for
Burn Centers across the Commonwealth?
"The Governor is also proposing to reduce funding for
other important programs such as Renal Dialysis ($2.5 million), Sickle Cell
($198,000), Epilepsy Support Services ($100,000) and Lupus ($56,000).
"How can the Administration and the House Democrats claim
that they are so concerned about health care when they seem quite willing to
cut state funding for existing programs that benefit thousands of
Pennsylvanians?
"In summary, I don't believe that any one branch of state government
or any one caucus in the General Assembly can claim to be the sole champion
for promoting health care in Pennsylvania. Health care is too important to
be cheapened by politics. If there is to be reform or expansion, it must be
developed through a carefully reviewed process that is open to public review
and comment. We must also ensure that any expansion is fiscally responsible
and sustainable in the future. I believe the proposal offered by the House
Democratic Caucus is lacking in both of those areas."
