Governor Rendell Offers Coverage to 29,000 on AdultBasic Waiting List; Unveils New Policy to Improve Quality of Care for the Low-Income and Pennsylvanians With Di...( HARRISBURG Pa. Jan. 22 -- Govern...),Health

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today said that 29,000 uninsured adults who have been waiting for coverage since 2006 can now be added to the adultBasic insurance program and said if his Cover All Pennsylvanians program had been enacted, more than 70,000 people still on the waiting list would have also been able to receive coverage.

During a Capitol news conference, the Governor also announced that the state has taken steps to eliminate preventable, serious adverse events at acute care general hospitals participating in the Medical Assistance program. Consistent with his Prescription for Pennsylvania health care reform plan, the new policy places Pennsylvania at the forefront among state Medical Assistance programs in addressing these avoidable health care occurrences.

"With my Prescription for Pennsylvania, we have been working hard to make sure that all Pennsylvanians have access to quality, affordable health insurance," Governor Rendell said. "Today we have given 29,000 uninsured adults the opportunity to receive adultBasic health coverage at a monthly premium of about $33.50. We have also instituted a program to improve the quality of hospital care that our Medical Assistance recipients receive. Both of these announcements are good news.

"While the individuals who have been on the adultBasic waiting for up to 18 months can finally heave a sigh of relief, there are still 70,000 people on the waiting list and hundreds of thousands more Pennsylvanians who have no affordable options in sight. Of course, all these folks would be provided immediate access to coverage if the legislature were to pass my Cover All Pennsylvanians proposal because that program would fold all current adultBasic enrollees as well as the waiting list into the program.

"And, even more worrisome is the fact that nearly 5,000 eligible people apply for coverage, but end up on the adultBasic waitlist ea
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