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."
