Healthcare

By Gregg Kravitz

Approximately one million out of our 12 million citizens have no health coverage of any kind. Every Pennsylvanian is entitled to quality, affordable healthcare I believe a single-payer system is the most cost-effective way of tackling rising costs and limited coverage.

1. Protect Pennsylvania jobs

(a) by limiting employer contribution to the Health Trust employers currently paying for employee health insurance coverage will realize substantial savings; (b) I will work to ensure that any healthcare legislation protects the many jobs already provided to our region by private insurance companies. We must insure that those workers are retrained to implement and manage the single payer system;

2. Reduce Prescription Drug Cost - Pennsylvania's 12.5 million citizens represent a formidable bargaining force while dealing with drug companies;

3. Curb Defensive Medicine - according to a recent survey, 90% of Pennsylvania physicians admit to practicing some form of defensive medicine. Replacing fault based malpractice with a no-fault program will promote quality assurance instead of punishment;

4. Reduce Administrative Costs - a single payer approach eliminates the unnecessary and redundant overhead of existing public and private payers;

5. Reduce Personal Bankruptcy Resulting from Healthcare Expenses -universal coverage will preserve the dignity and savings of families placed at risk by the expense of uninsured illness;

6. Restore the Emergency Room - universal coverage assures that all citizens will have access to primary care physicians, thus ending the wasteful practice of using hospital emergency rooms as primary care centers.