Posted: | January 8, 2013 03:27 PM |
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From: | Representative Matthew E. Baker |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Community Based Healthcare (Former HB 342) |
In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation (former HB 342) that establishes the Community – Based Health Care Provider Access Program (CHCPA) to enhance access to quality community – based health care centers and to improve the health of local residents across the Commonwealth. Community – based health care provides important services to individuals about staying healthy and managing diseases, emphasizing prevention and primary care, resulting in a more appropriate use of the health care system. This leads to lower overall cost of care and reduces the burden of uncompensated services. These health centers are providers that remove common barriers to care by serving communities who otherwise confront financial, geographic, language, cultural and other barriers and are often located in high-need areas identified as having elevated poverty, higher than average infant mortality and where there are few physicians practicing. Community – based health care centers are open to all residents regardless of their insurance status or their ability to pay. This legislation establishes the CHCPA Program in the Department of Health to improve and expand health care access and services, encourage collaborative relationships among community – based health care providers and to provide assistance with covering the costs of health care services by awarding grants. This proposal also provides for a community – based health care clinic tax credit program. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation that will afford our Commonwealth’s residents with access to quality health care services and treatment regardless of their ability to pay. In this difficult economic time when many of our constituents are losing jobs and health care, this initiative will provide a lifeline, and many times the only means of obtaining health care for a number of Pennsylvanians. PREVIOUS COSPONSORS: BAKER, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CLYMER, CUTLER, EVANS, FRANKEL, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HARHART, HENNESSEY, HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, KELLER, MICOZZIE, PAYTON, PICKETT, RAPP, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SMITH, VULAKOVICH, WAGNER |
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View Attachment |
Introduced as HB524