Feb 25, 2005 2 min read

State Sen. Richard A. Kasunic (D-Dunbar) on Thursday introduced legislation that would require lapsed or excess tobacco settlement money to be used to cover more low-income workers under the state’s adultBasic health insurance program. The program, funded with a portion of tobacco settlement proceeds, serves low-income workers who have no employee health coverage and cannot afford private health insurance.

“With Pennsylvania in the midst of a health-care crisis, it is imperative that every excess tobacco settlement dollar be used to cover more working poor families,” Kasunic said. “In avoiding the kind of bureaucratic wrangling that occurs when excess dollars are identified, my bill (Senate Bill 323) merely stipulates that excess tobacco settlement proceeds be used to make more workers eligible for the adultBasic program.”

Kasunic introduced a similar bill last year when former Auditor General Robert P. Casey’s audit turned up $3 million in excess hospital uncompensated care money. Kasunic’s legislation would have used the excess dollars to add 1,500 more workers to the adultBasic program.

After the state Legislature’s failure to act on Kasunic’s bill, the excess money lapsed back into the tobacco settlement pool, which is used for numerous health-care programs.

“While there are numerous worthy and deserving health-care programs funded with tobacco settlement proceeds, adultBasic is clearly the most pressing and needy. My legislation reflects that priority.”

At 96,353, the waiting list for the state’s adultBasic more than doubles the number of people being served. Moreover, officials have estimated that up to 35,000 additional workers would qualify for adultBasic, but have not applied for the program.

Kasunic, who chairs the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, held numerous hearings around the state last year on Pennsylvania’s health-care crisis. He said his committee will soon provide a report with recommended legislative solutions.

“Pennsylvania has been socked with four straight years of double-digit health insurance hikes,” Kasunic said. “This has resulted in businesses providing health-care benefits to fewer workers, low-income workers going without coverage and putting off preventative care, and hospitals buckling under the weight of rising uncompensated care costs.

“It is imperative that we find lasting solutions to this worsening problem before our economy and health-care systems suffer irreparable harm.”

Stating that “poverty knows no boundaries,” Kasunic said the growing ranks of the uninsured cross regional, racial, urban and rural lines.