Pennsylvania Health Insurance Gives Advantage to Children

Governor Tom Corbett signs a new bill for Health Insurance for children of Pennsylvania. The Children’s Health Insurance Program which has been running for 2 decades and covers more than 188,000 children is criticized for being inaccessible for children who need it most. With the new bill signed by the Governor the Program has been extended till 2015 and the legislation has allocated another $8 million to the program for 2013-2014. An additional 9000 children can be enrolled under the program. There are approximately 145,000 uninsured children in Pennsylvania.

The legislation has also done away with the 6 month waiting period for entry into the program. Some children with serious ailments could not wait that long for medical care, which they could not avail due to high cost. This clause was meant to stop people from dropping private insurance and jumping to this program.

In 2010-2011 almost $1billion was spent by hospitals – uncompensated – to treat children and adults without health insurance, for serious illnesses. There were many more people whom the hospitals could not help and others who did not go seeking help without having health insurance.

References:

Hannah Punitha (IRDA Licence Number: 2710062)

Logan Bayan Oct 2013

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Source-Medindia