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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Armstrong Disagrees With Rendell Plan To Hold Up Medical ReliefSenator Gib Armstrong believes that Governor Ed Rendell is making a serious mistake by breaking faith with Pennsylvania's medical professionals in an attempt to gain political leverage for a state-controlled health care program. "Getting state government more deeply involved in health care does not seem the most productive remedy for what ails our system, nor are the tax increases needed to pay for it good for the economy. Disrupting a program designed to retain and attract doctors is a very poor policy choice when we are deeply concerned about health care access and quality," Armstrong said. "If we attack the factors that are driving up health care costs, we have a better chance of making coverage more affordable for more people. On the other hand, if we fail to sufficiently contain costs, any government program to extend coverage is going to fall well short of expectations and need," he noted. "Governor Rendell hurt the cause of health care reform when he vetoed the Fair Share legislation that was aimed at curbing lawsuits. Now, holding hostage the relief that is intended to keep doctors practicing in the Commonwealth seems equally counterproductive," Armstrong pointed out. Armstrong and other Senators are recommending that a portion of the excess MCARE relief money be devoted to patient safety measures, such as instituting electronic medical records and reducing facility-acquired infections. "Aggressive patient safety steps such as reducing medical errors are a crucial part of any effective health care reform approach. We are proposing what are mostly one-time investments in technology and procedures, in contrast to the obligations the Governor is looking to undertake, which occur year after year and grow in cost over time," Armstrong concluded.
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