Pennsylvania, First in the Nation for Single Payer?

[ensho]

http://www.counterpunch.org/mokhiber10192009.html


Pennacchio's Campaign


Will Pennsylvania be the first state in the nation to pass single payer health insurance reform?

Chuck Pennacchio says yes.

Pennacchio is a Professor of History at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

And he’s the executive director of Health Care For All Pennsylvania.

For the past three years he’s been campaigning for a state single payer bill in Pennsylvania.

Governor Ed Rendell says that he will sign the bill if it passes the state legislature.

Rendell is the first Governor in the nation to commit to signing single payer legislation.

-snip-

And he called efforts by Congressional Democrats to push for watered down health care reform “fraudulent.”

That’s why he’s fighting for a state single payer bill.

Everybody in. Nobody out.

-snip-

California has passed single payer legislation twice.

But it was vetoed both times by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
-snip-
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piss on Arnold

and good luck to Pa.

[AllentownJake]

1. No

The Republicans control the State Senate and Governor Rendell is enormously unpopular right now which is going to hurt the governor's race in 2010.

[imdjh]

2. Canadian Single Payer started in Saskatchewan

[ensho]

3. interesting

nt

[tabbycat31]

4. good luck to PA

and let it bleed into NJ (would only remotely happen if Corzine's re-elected)

[Juche]

5. CA, PA & IL are all working on single payer

If all 3 get it that is over 60 million Americans covered by state single payer.

I think as the budget & economic crisis gets worse, states will get more serious about it. Studies have shown single payer will save billions, and increase quality of life.

[tblue]

6. Arnold is such a joke. When Jerry Brown is governor again

we'll get at least a public option, unless the Dems in Congress make it illegal somehow. I am a lifelong Californian and my family of 3 pays $25k out of pocket premiums and $5k deductible this year. If public insurance goes thru in PA and doesn't in CA, I'll have to seriously consider moving.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Interesting. I wonder how far they are in the process?

[AllentownJake]

8. No where

Like I said up thread. It isn't a political reality with the current state of state politics.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. Is it even out of committee?

[AllentownJake]

12. It isn't even being debated

The lower level of the legislature is controlled by democrats the upper level is controlled by republicans. There will probably be a republican governor in 2010. The Governor is in his last year and we were the last state in the nation to pass a state budget.

[TheCoxwain]

9. I wonder how the CA legislature managed to pass a measure like that without solving the huge

budget issues ...

remember - states cannot run a deficit and need to balance their books

[eridani]

16. They did solve the budget issues. Tax increases substitute for outrageous private premiums

The Washington Health Security Trust has done all the math for WA State. A 10% payroll tax of everything over $140,000 and individual payments of $100/month/adult, plus available Medicare and Medicaid money will take care of everything. No copays or deductibles. Dental, vision, mental, drugs and longterm care included. Estimates include subsidies for low income people and struggling businesses.

I mean really--the calculator for HR 3200 tells me I will be forced to pay $450/month. That includes the mandated age discrimination as well as the partially offsetting subsidy. How fucking stupid does anyone have to be to prefer a $450/month "premium" to a $100/month "tax"? HR 676 proposes $125/month.

[joeycola]

10. yes, good luck to PA and its citizens.

[appleannie1]

13. Wonder if that is one of the things they plan on using table gaming for

It looks like that is going to come about.

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. Rendell says he'll sign single payer?

OK, is this like the episode of South Park where there was a wormhole and the "evil" Cartman was better than the one from this planet?

Ed DLC Rendell?

Seriously??

[AllentownJake]

15. Ed Rendell can say whatever he wants to say

He has a little more than a year left in office and the legislature is split between democrats and republicans.

Ed, also proposed a very politically unpopular school district consolidation this year. It wasn't going anywhere, he knew that. He can say whatever he wants to say at this point because other than a cabinet post. This is the last public job he will ever hold and he is term limited.