City of Philadelphia - File #: 070284

• File #: 070284
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 4/12/2007
• In control: Committee on Public Health and Human Services
• Title: Authorizing the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on recommendations of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell proposed legislation, "Prescription for Pennsylvania" and further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations to improve the availability and quality of affordable healthcare in Philadelphia from citizens, health experts, health policy experts, academia, businesses, employers, and state legislative and executive branch officials.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Goode, Council President Verna, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Ramos, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Savage, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Clarke

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
4/12/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
4/12/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
4/12/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings on recommendations of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell proposed legislation, "Prescription for Pennsylvania" and further authorizing the Committee to seek advice and recommendations to improve the availability and quality of affordable healthcare in Philadelphia from citizens, health experts, health policy experts, academia, businesses, employers, and state legislative and executive branch officials.
Body
WHEREAS, In January of 2007 Governor Edward G. Rendell offered sweeping and bold legislation called "Prescription for Pennsylvania" to increase access to affordable healthcare coverage for all Pennsylvanians, improve the quality of care in the state and bring healthcare costs under control for employers and employees; and

WHEREAS, Section 5-300 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter requires that the City of Philadelphia through the Department of Health prepare a plan for universal healthcare that permits everyone on the City of Philadelphia to obtain decent health care; and

WHEREAS, This amendment to the home rule charter was voted on and approved by 75 % of the Philadelphia electorate in November, 2003; and

WHEREAS, The city of Philadelphia contains some of the most nationally and worldwide known medical institutions, providing the best and cutting edge medical science; and

WHEREAS, It is generally accepted that the optimal approach to quality and affordable health care would require a nationally universal coverage and this would require changes to the financing of healthcare at the national level and there have not been any real national initiatives that have materialized with the current administration; and

WHEREAS, Health spending and health insurance costs continue to grow at a rate significantly faster than wages and economic growth resulting in the vastly increasing numbers of uninsured and underinsured persons in Philadelphia; an...