In Johnstown Governor Rendell Launches 'Tour to Insure;' Urges Passage of Plan to Give Access to Affordable Health...( JOHNSTOWN Pa. Oct. 11 -- Just on...),Health

JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just one week after Cover All Pennsylvanians, the centerpiece of his "Prescription for Pennsylvania," was introduced in the Legislature, Governor Edward G. Rendell today held a town hall meeting in Johnstown as part of his statewide "Tour to Insure." The five-day, nine-stop tour will highlight the need to lower health care costs and expand coverage. Cambria County has the 15th highest rate of uninsured adults in Pennsylvania.

"One-in-seven adults in Cambria County don't have insurance, which means they are more likely to forgo needed care, get sicker more often and for longer," said Governor Rendell. "We need to remember that these are not just statistics -- we're talking about real people who work hard every day to provide for their families, but still don't have access to affordable health care. The current situation is bad for businesses and bad for workers and it needs to change."

Governor Rendell said Cambria County was a stop on the "Tour to Insure" because it has one of the highest rates of uninsured in the state, with more than 14 percent of its population uninsured. The Governor said his Cover All Pennsylvanians (CAP) health insurance initiative and the rest of his Prescription for Pennsylvania will help every person in the commonwealth.

A key component of the Governor's plan is reducing costs for everyone by reducing the estimated $7.6 billion in avoidable costs in Pennsylvania's health care system. The legislature passed provisions designed to reduce the $3.5 billion spent treating avoidable hospital acquired infections, the $1.7 billion wasted because of inadequate management of chronic diseases and the $965 million spent on avoidable medical errors and readmissions to hospitals.

But more needs to be done, the Governor said.

"My Prescription for Pennsylvania sets out a common sense plan to attack all the problems driving up the cost of health care for businesses and i
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