Testimony from the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of PA:
It makes no economic sense to end adultBasic. At a recent event, Mr. Bob Rundle, the CEO of Lutheran Social Services for South-Central Pennsylvania, noted the economic cost of not continuing adultBasic through the end of the fiscal year. He calculated it would cost $52 million to continue adultBasic for all 42,000 people through June, which translates into roughly $1,250 per participant. Based on 2008 data, he said, it costs $1,265 per emergency room visit. He said, “We’re telling people to leave a health insurance program that gives them both care as well as the comfort they need to move forward and, in return, go to our community hospitals, go to our emergency rooms and drive our costs up."
Testimony from SEIU Healthcare PA:
According to a Harvard Medical School study half of all bankruptcies in the United States are due to medical bills.
Testimony from United Methodist Advocacy in PA:
We believe this is a moral obligation. To not do everything possible to find a way to continue insurance for those 42000 persons, and to help those on the waiting list borders on immoral.
