In the near future, I will introduce legislation to provide healthcare coverage to all Pennsylvania residents. 
 

Across the country and here in Pennsylvania, families are paying far more for healthcare while receiving far less for it than households in peer countries. Nearly half of all families in the United States consider healthcare costs a burden. Another 28 million people are uninsured. We see the direct consequences of an ill-equipped system here in the Commonwealth via the more than $1.8 billion in medical debt held by Pennsylvanians. I’m introducing the PA Universal Healthcare Plan to ensure everyone in Pennsylvania can receive the care they deserve without having to choose between their families’ health and their financial stability.  

 

This bill will establish the Office of Healthcare (the Office) within the Department of Health. The Office would be tasked to create a universal single-payer health system in Pennsylvania. The Office would collect and disburse money for covered services to eligible participants: every person working at least 20 hours per week in Pennsylvania, resident and non-resident alike. Coverage will be provided without copays, deductibles, coinsurance, or caps. The program will be funded through a payroll tax, costing the majority of Pennsylvanians far less than the average monthly rate they currently pay for health insurance premiums. 

 

The PA Universal Healthcare Plan will maintain and add to the current network but with services provided at cost. By unifying the administration of healthcare under the Office, we will eliminate excessive costs created as a result of bloated executive salaries, duplicative administrative costs, and shareholder demands. My plan is an effective, cost-efficient approach to care provision for our constituents, our government, and ultimately our healthcare system—and it is one that can always prioritize provider quality and patient experience above all else. 

 

By improving our standard of care, we will make Pennsylvania an even better place to live and work across a lifetime. Please join me in cosponsoring this critical piece of legislation.