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Calling upon the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact Senate Bill 1465, also known as the “Pennsylvania Universal Healthcare Act”, which would establish the Office of Health Care and the Pennsylvania Care Board with responsibility to implement a comprehensive single-payer healthcare model that would provide healthcare coverage to all Pennsylvanians.
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WHEREAS, Families across Pennsylvania face financial barriers to obtaining health care, including rising costs of insurance premiums, copayments, prescriptions, and deductibles; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians collectively owe more than $1.8 billion in medical debt, a massive obligation that puts in stark relief how the health care system requires some individuals to choose between medical care and other basic needs; and
WHEREAS, The passing of Trump’s H.R. 1 bill imposes new work and community engagement requirements on Medicaid recipients, in addition to more frequent eligibility renewals, disrupting the coverage of the 700,000 Pennsylvanians on Medicaid beginning in 2027; and
WHEREAS, On September 24, 2026, State Senator Nikil Saval introduced Senate Bill 1465. The Pennsylvania Universal Health Care Act aims to establish publicly administered single-payer healthcare system to ensure coverage for Pennsylvanians; and
WHEREAS, The bill proposes establishing an Office of Health Care, a government agency that would be providing universal, opt-out healthcare financed by a payroll tax consisting of an employer contribution of 7.5% and an employee contribution of 2.5%; and
WHEREAS, The proposed state system would not include copays, deductibles, coinsurance, or caps for participants, with coverage available to all residents and any non-residents who work a minimum 20 hours per week in Pennsylvania and pay taxes here; and
WHEREAS, Every participant would be entitled to the same standard of medical care; and
WHEREAS, SB1465 would not eliminate private insurers - all individuals who prefer to remain privately covered or are enrolled in employer health plans would continue to have that option; and
WHEREAS, As H.R.1 changes threaten Medicaid recipients with substantially more difficult time maintaining healthcare coverage, we have a responsibility to find ways to make all Pennsylvanians healthier, more secure, and more prosperous; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby calls upon the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to enact Senate Bill 1465, also known as the “Pennsylvania Universal Healthcare Act”, which would establish the Office of Health Care and the Pennsylvania Care Board with responsibility to implement a comprehensive single-payer healthcare model that would provide healthcare coverage to all Pennsylvanians.
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