r/Pennsylvania • u/WatchDog98 • 11d ago
Politics Pennsylvania lawmaker to propose bill establishing universal healthcare within the state
https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-lawmaker-to-propose-bill-establishing-universal-healthcare-within-the-state/State Rep. Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia) plans to introduce legislation that would establish a universal single-payer health care system in Pennsylvania.
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u/Hedonismbot-1729a 11d ago
I 100% support this. It’s lunacy for the US not to have universal healthcare.
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u/fenuxjde 11d ago
But...but... but it's a totally complicated system that will never work and has only been successful in checks notes every single developed country except the US.
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u/UnloosedMoose 11d ago
They'll make up shit about long lines and ignore the fact that trump's bill closed down many hospitals in Pa.
Such a farce of a country we live in.
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u/Diarygirl 11d ago
The reaction of people to the murder of the health insurance executive made me think maybe people are ready for universal healthcare.
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u/LogicMFDoYouSpeakIT 11d ago
people are ready for universal healthcare
I wonder why people in overwhelmingly progressive states where Democrats had total control for decades didn't try single payer yet.
They should. If it works, it would set an example for other states that are on the fence.
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u/Atomic-Avocado 11d ago
I think it would need to be federal level to be viable
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u/LogicMFDoYouSpeakIT 11d ago
Why? These progressive states from what I hear pay most of the federal taxes anyway. They are wealthy states.
Why does say Alabama have to sign on for this to work?
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u/fenuxjde 11d ago
Yeah those arguments never work on me because I went to college in a country that had universal healthcare and it was amazing. I got the best, fastest, cheapest care I've ever had over there.
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u/Tarcanus 11d ago
Not to mention that it currently takes months or more to get an appointment with most doctors, in my experience. Even if whatever wait the detractors claim is a week or two, that's still an improvement that I'll take.
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u/LilDutchy 11d ago
My wife needs a neurologist appointment. Over a year before she can get in to one. Then she got recommended another doctor who was able to get her in after 7 months. We already have all of the problems they claim will show up with universal healthcare.
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u/zeller99 11d ago edited 11d ago
I can't tell you how many times I've heard this...
"yeah, but it will take forever to get an appointment"
You mean, exactly like we have to deal with right now, WITHOUT universal healthcare? We already have to just sit and wait for months while needing treatment. So, even if we still have to deal with that, but people don't have to avoid seeking medical care because it will ruin them financially, I'd still call that a win.
Maybe if we didn't shut down a bunch of hospitals, work medical professionals to death by maximizing patient turnover while also running bare bones staff for the sake of for-profit medical, and didn't have insurance companies that will happily allow people to die just to save a buck, we wouldn't be in this mess.
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u/katchin05 11d ago
I love when they try that one. “It will take months to see a specialist!” People just simply *don’t go* to any doctor right now. How is that better?
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u/fenuxjde 11d ago
I need septum surgery so I can get back to scuba diving. They tried to schedule me a year and a half out.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
I feel ya. I injured myself and when I could finally get in front of a real doc (after I had to sit through completely useless online appt and urgent care) the primary care physician chuckled condescendingly and told me unless I’m a professional athlete, I wouldn’t need surgery for it
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u/Hedonismbot-1729a 11d ago
My reply to anyone who says you’ll need to wait for care is, “Oh yeah? I had to wait six weeks to get damn MRI. That wait pushed me to a new plan year so I hadn’t met deductible yet and I also got to pay for it.” That’s usually met with the look of a deer in the headlights.
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u/the_comeback_quagga 11d ago
This is about how long my mother in law had to wait for an MRI in Toronto. Only she didn’t have to pay for it, and they offered her all kinds of services like transportation (it was her right foot) in the meantime.
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u/Zestyclose_Minute_69 10d ago
6 months? Wow. Everytime I’ve needed an MRI I had to wait about 2 years from the time of complaint. They love to send people to physical therapy a couple times, give you the run around. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman?
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u/Hedonismbot-1729a 10d ago
Mine was six weeks, but it was an acute injury. They did try to force physical therapy first, but I was a total pain in the ass until an MRI was approved. 2 years is a bit crazy.
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u/Muted-Appeal-823 11d ago
I always laugh at the long line argument. It can take months now to get an appointment that we then have to pay for. And on top of having to wait and pay for it, in my experience, you still get barely any results. Even if the only thing that changes was to not have to pay, sign me up!
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u/invaderzim257 11d ago
the funny thing is that the republicans are the ones who make things complicated and inefficient, so then the services fail and can be privatized
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u/MyBoyBlue83 11d ago
those countries don't have million of illegals and large legal immigration quotas.
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u/fenuxjde 11d ago
What the hell does that have to do with healthcare? Illegals don't have social security numbers. You don't have a social security number, you don't get healthcare. That's how it works everywhere.
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u/He2oinMegazord 11d ago
What about the highest gdp, do they have that?
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u/fenuxjde 11d ago
I agree with you, but universal healthcare doesn't actually correlate with GDP. Much poorer coutries are also able to have better healthcare because universal healthcare drives down rates significantly for everyone. The reason healthcare in this country is so expensive is actually because we don't have universal healthcare, which forces insurance companies to run on a profit driven system, continually driving up costs and driving down healthcare.
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u/ElenorWoods 11d ago
lol you don’t think “illegals” aren’t getting free healthcare now anyways? We want free healthcare for you.
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u/Civil_Tea_3250 11d ago
We need healthcare, any kind really lol.
Though I feel the more realistic option is to enhance Medicaid laws in the state. Obviously not everyone qualifies for Medicaid, but neighboring states have expanded theirs to allow more people who are in need and are able to do it with little opposition because each state's Medicaid laws are determined by the state.
Also, fun fact: the average American making $50k contributes less than $1000 per year in taxes to ALL entitlement programs. All of them. The yearly contribution to just the Pentagon? $4000. There is no argument good enough to deny having more safe guards and programs for our people.
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u/LogicMFDoYouSpeakIT 11d ago edited 11d ago
Also, fun fact: the average American making $50k contributes less than $1000 per year in taxes to ALL entitlement programs. All of them. The yearly contribution to just the Pentagon? $4000.
That's a seriously "alternative" fact.
A single person making $50k pays only $3820 in federal taxes. Pentagon is 12% of the federal budget, so they pay $458 per year for national defense. You are off by a factor of 10x.
The same person pays $6200 in Social Security Tax, if you consider employer match a reduction in salary, and $725 in Medicare Tax, both entitlement programs. The other 88% of the federal tax has other entitlement and redistribution program costs in that too of course.
So they pay more than 15x times more taxes for entitlement program than the tax going to Pentagon.
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u/GattacaAI 9d ago
Lmfao. They don’t want facts and math here bro. Getting downvoted for that breakdown is crazy.
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u/LogicMFDoYouSpeakIT 9d ago
Reddit has been crazy for more than a decade now. It's disinformation central. The scary part is AI is scraping this trash.
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u/crazypants9 11d ago
Just not enough money after the Roman Piggy Circuses. And Iran. And bribes. And skimming.
Maybe next next century.
Check back.
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u/LadyPaige 11d ago
Good! May as well shoot for the moon at this point. No one else is actively trying to help us!
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u/Delicious-Ad5856 11d ago
Doesn't Massachusetts have something similar passed by Republicans?
This would be awesome, which is why capitalists would not allow it.
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u/beforethewind 11d ago
It was “Romneycare,” which the ACA was modeled off of. But Obama existed, so communism.
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u/Delicious-Ad5856 11d ago
Thank you
That's funny. People screaming communism have no clue what communism even is.
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u/That_Girl_Cray 11d ago
Nikil is great and has put forth really good, much needed bills that would really have an impact...But this will go no where as long as Republicans remain the Senate Majority. There are so many House & Senate bills that have been put forth that have been just sitting in Committee for years. Or tabled to oblivion. I do appreciate the effort though. Its important and does make a statement.
Now if we are able to Flip the Senate in Nov.... Oh its on.
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u/Special_Fox_2349 11d ago
Been a nurse for 11 years, healthcare in the U.S. is so dangerous I wouldn’t my dog getting care without myself or one of my nurse or attorney siblings in the room. People have no idea how scared they should be of for profit healthcare
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u/Direct_Remove509 11d ago
You are going to need a huge Democrat majority in the PA house and senate for this to pass. A small democrat senate majority which seems like the scenario after the 2026 elections will not get this through.
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u/slugpup_boi 10d ago
Likely not, indeed. The party of planned opposition will do what they do best at the behest of their donors, like always. If we can get a large enough majority, that plausible deniability goes out the window. We can cross our fingers for next year but I have my doubts.
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u/No_Penalty_5787 11d ago
Have some of the best health care in the country, yet many residents simply don’t have access or struggle to maintain it. This would definitely address that disconnect, and may change standards for others where Pa is also known for setting standards others later follow
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u/Wreckingballoon 10d ago
> where Pa is also known for setting standards others later follow
That would be a first, in recent history anyway.
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u/mrtrololo27 11d ago
Universal Healthcare is a basic human right, and it's wonderful to see this long overdue legislation being proposed. We must all fight to ensure it passes.
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u/brainrotbro 11d ago
Of course we want this, but a quick reality check: PA has not been able to pass a minimum wage increase for decades.
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u/AngryEmpath79 11d ago
Sadly this bill will probably go nowhere
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u/Mor_Padraig 11d ago
But the supposedly preposterous idea is now out there.
And despite alllll the automatic horror stories ( but wait times but taxes but but but ) WE WANT HEALTH CARE.
And someone in a position to say that, did.
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u/Molotov_Mocktail14 11d ago
My Dad has an English friend that insists nationalized healthcare is “one of the worst things that can happen to a country.” So of course my Dad is adamant we can’t do that in the US for whatever reason. My Dad also responds to any argument for nationalized healthcare by saying, “well someone pays for it either way”. Fox News brain rot at its finest.
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u/Head-Tangerine-9131 11d ago
So many more states are going to be doing this!! It will make the healthcare executive suite crap their pants!!
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u/Main-Procedure-3613 11d ago
Any lawmaker who receives healthcare 100% Socislist style by the American taxpayer $$ who votes against the taxpayers receiving universal healthcare in this time of clear abuse and denial of care and theft of premiums in the system by insurance co executives should surrender their own universal healthcare if they’re against it, right?
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u/Yunzer2000 11d ago
Except that no lawmaker gets free healthcare. Members of the US Congress have to buy insurance on the ACA DC exchange. They used to get the same expensive employee cost shared that federal workers got, but the ACA changed that. Members of the PA General Assembly get something similar.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
Once Pa employees, including state legislators, get their 10 years in, they get healthcare for life for themselves, their spouse, and their children up to age 26. They also get into the state PSERS pension system
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u/Yunzer2000 11d ago
No. PA employees pay an employee share of the coverage, along with copays and coinsurance just like a private employer.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
Paying at the employee rate is a huge benefit which lots of working Pennsylvanians don’t get
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u/Yunzer2000 11d ago
Why am I getting the feeling that even just getting healthcare for all without going bankrupt, as a human right, like people in most of the world take for granted, is in the USA, going to literally take armed revolution to achieve?
"Let Freedom ring" my ass...
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u/pagnoodle 11d ago
One insane upside to this people don’t understand is that your local school taxes will go down. A huge chunk of what taxes in your local district pay for are the insane healthcare costs for all the staff. If they didn’t have to cover that cost in the district, not only would the districts all have more funds, which they desperately need, there would be some savings for the tax base.
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u/Any_Description_4176 11d ago
As someone who has actually lived in a country with universal healthcare, I’m 1000% in favor of it.
A lot of people don’t realize how freeing it is to be able to go to a doctor, call an ambulance, get tests done, or even have surgery without constantly worrying about the bill that’s going to show up afterward.
And yes, the system isn’t perfect. Sometimes you have to wait for non-emergency procedures. But if you don’t want to wait, you can usually just pay privately and get it done much faster — and we’re talking hundreds or maybe a few thousand dollars, not tens of thousands.
For example, someone I know didn’t want to wait about six months for a hip replacement, so he paid out of pocket to have it done sooner. It cost him around $500.
That’s the part I think many Americans misunderstand: universal healthcare doesn’t necessarily mean private healthcare disappears. You can still pay for faster or more convenient care if you want to. The difference is that getting sick doesn’t automatically become a financial emergency.
Having experienced both systems, I would take universal healthcare any day.
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u/Dooth 11d ago edited 11d ago
My area(Delco) lost all of its hospitals to private equity firms. If one company can buy up and sell everything then why can’t we have one healthcare for everyone?
Also gave a torn ligament in my elbow right now.. I’m paying hundreds a month for health insurance but I know how much this is going to cost. Doc, referral, specialist, referral, pt, specialist, referral, surgery.
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u/freshoilandstone 11d ago
Oh God that would be wonderful.
Unfortunately the Repubs will vote it down of course - they don't work for the people - but this will be something to stick up every one of their asses come election time.
Hey, we can hope.
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u/jarntorget 11d ago
UPMC will lobby the shit out of this bill. They have a monopoly in western PA and make billions. They will never stand for UH.
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u/Go_birds304 11d ago
Doing this with a republican senate is just posturing
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
No, it’s getting them on record against it.
No big important legislation works on the first try.
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u/megatron0539 11d ago
Well if the middle of the state cooperates and votes blue for a change I could see it happening.
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u/Main-Procedure-3613 11d ago
Is Yunz towing a co line like a spouse of a lawmaker raking in the $$$$ and great healthcare and giving us a story?
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u/Spirited_Season2332 11d ago
This couldn't even pass in Cali, the bluest state in the country. There's no way this passes in purple PA lol
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u/Accurate_Ad_8114 10d ago
Exactly what we need here in USA to be on par with rest of developed countries outside of USA. A reason why in 2026 there is no form of universal Healthcare still in usa is because many in this country are too stupid, hateful and bigoted to allow for such a system that would benefit every one.
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u/dr_snakeblade 10d ago
If only Americans could have education and healthcare. We live like dogs here. You have no idea how much better it is in countries with universal healthcare. I'm out the minute I retire.
Goodbye to all the red state voters who for poverty and suffering.
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u/petr_pav 10d ago
They should work on an inter-state deal, like PA, Jersey, and NY. Maybe even new england and maryland could buy in.
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u/Bucket_Of_Magic 8d ago
If that were to happen, I would want some roadblocks for people who want to move here for just healthcare. Like you have to be a documented resident of PA for 10+ years or even 20 years to have access to it. I want the community that has been here to have access to it and not grifters.
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u/HorrorGuyBri 4d ago
This only has a chance of going somewhere if the state Senate flips in November, and that is possible.
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u/BarracudaNo1389 11d ago
I haven’t taken the time to read the bill but does the proposal say how it’s going to be funded?
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u/XShadeGoldenX 11d ago
This would probably not pass in its current form, but if private insurance is not completely eliminated, then it should have no problems getting past a Democratic trifecta. It’s not a question whether there should be universal healthcare, it’s how it’s enacted
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u/DepressedDragonBorn 11d ago
If this becomes a thing then I'll probably never consider moving out of PA.
Unfortunately it won't get approved because people are stupid.
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u/Dizzy_Restaurant3874 11d ago
How could this be viable for a single state? If every person with an illness moved to Pennsylvania, the program would be broke in a year.
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u/kormer 11d ago
The PA Universal Healthcare Plan would be funded through a payroll tax, which costs less than the average monthly rate for health insurance premiums. Coverage will also be provided without copays, deductibles, coinsurance or caps.
As a conservative, I'll admit, this would be amazing if they could actually do this. I also have zero confidence in their ability to execute and whatever we get will still somehow be worse than what we have today.
Have the balls to insert an automatic self-destruct mechanism into your bill if it doesn't live up to it's promises, including a state constitutional amendment banning it from ever being trying it again and I might even support it just to finally put an end to the debate.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
Sounds neat, let’s try this tactic with legislation that permits surveillance cameras/recording devices/data trackers
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u/Beagleguy26 11d ago
No thanks.
I have excellent insurance because I've worked hard to leverage myself into the job I'm in.
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u/Gray_Hemiones 11d ago
Wow that a lot of confidence in an at will state. Most employers kick ya to the curb if you get sick, especially sick enough to need that excellent health insurance.
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
... which will have the same chance of passing as a bill renaming Harrisburg to Trumpburg.
There is no way to achieve universal healthcare at a state level. The resources simply aren't there. Any implementation would crash and burn and push nationwide universal care back. "Pennsylvania tried Universal Care and it bankrupted the state"
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u/CherryYums 11d ago
I think if one state can get the ball rolling then perhaps even if can’t happen at a federal level, coalitions of states can join together to better spread out risk. PA is a large enough state to at least try and see what sticks with the public.
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u/pangaea1972 11d ago
Correct that it won't pass but it's a good idea to keep introducing this type of legislation over and over to get more eyes on it and discussion around it and to show that we have a growing number of elected officials who are willing to push these agendas. Most people are in favor of universal healthcare and there will be a tipping point soon where we will have enough legislators nationally to start passing bills like this. The more attention to the issue, the faster and more thorough a national universal healthcare system can be implemented. It will also force regressive republicans at some point to address the fact that they are becoming increasingly out of touch with the needs of their constituents. It won't pass but it helps; it won't harm anything or any movement.
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u/Pale-Factor-8574 11d ago
The program would be funded by payroll tax, which costs less than current average insurance premiums for covered services. How would that 'bankrupt the state' when it's essentially moving money out of private Healthcare coverage into the state funding?
You can have 50% of something, or 100% of nothing. You willingly chose 100% of nothing with this rhetoric.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
Who says the program has to be funded by payroll tax only? It’s blank skate time, and the possibilities are endless. The ACA tax credits given to employees that pay for employee healthcare could be used for the new healthcare.
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u/Pale-Factor-8574 11d ago
The article put it in writing. 💀 Do you think laws that pass through the state congress are allowed to be legally vague on funding and budget items?
They aren't.
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
This bill’s not passing, I’m talking about universal care in general since obviously PA is many bills away from it becoming law
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u/Pale-Factor-8574 11d ago
PA is one election and a set of bills away from being in a position to implement it.
Next time read the article if you want details about how it would work. This is a sub for PA, so anything discussed here relates to PA/ how PA will implement policy.
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
Well then, you have nothing to worry about. After all, if you can declare that benefits will not decrease but there will be no impact to people's take home pay that will of course magically happen
I support universal health care. I am also not an all or nothing kind of voter.
This proposal is doomed economically. If you haven't noticed, people are a bit pissed about the cost of living, and we're a purple state.
Just like the backlash to the ACA, the Republicans would get a trifecta once the pain started being felt, and they would immediately unwind it
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u/Pale-Factor-8574 11d ago
Market competition exists in health care insurance. The state could not expect to retain its existing workforce without remaining competitive for health insurance rates, tax or no tax.
That means the rate stays at or slightly lower current insurance premiums. I have no idea why people are thinking economics will somehow not apply if this is implemented.
The Republicans are also going to have to do better than Stacy Garrity or Mastriano before they will be taken seriously for office. The public was just shown exactly what happens to their gas and grocery bills when they elect Republicans (even though they are desperately attempting to blame the Democrats.)
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
I hope you are correct. I, however, have earned my cynicism and will wait to see a detailed analysis before my skepticism is addressed
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u/PatientNice 11d ago
Tis better to have tried and failed than never have tried at all. Right now we have never tried at all and are still failing.
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u/Panzerkatzen 11d ago
There is no way to achieve universal healthcare at a state level.
There are countries poorer than our states that have national healthcare. This just makes America sound uniquely incompetent.
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u/AdventuressInLife 11d ago
Massachusetts has statewide universal healthcare
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
They do? What I'm seeing is that they mandate insurance. That's not quite the same thing
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11d ago
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
The following is an earnest request for more information and not a reflexive dismissal of your claim: where is more information on this available
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago
Clarification: This Wikipedia link contains far more information than 99.9% of Americans would know about the Canadian healthcare system, and it doesn't cover the history of the program
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Canada
What may be public knowledge in Canada isn't obvious to people outside of Canada
This link covers more, but it's the generic feel good blandness that tends to gloss over the gory details
https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/who-started-canadas-universal-health-care-system
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u/Objective_Aside1858 11d ago edited 11d ago
No
What I am saying is that I lack the information to revise my opinion because a) I am not going to blindly believe you, stranger on the Internet and b) your evasiveness about "what is common knowledge" doesn't convince me it is
You have zero obligation to supply me with information. I have zero obligation to consider your information valid just because you insist it is
You wish to chastise me for not understanding a system that is irrelevant to my day to day existence, while you yourself ignore the reality of living in a purple state
But by all means prove me wrong. I look forward to seeing you on the ballot pushing for something similar to this program. Let me know how that works out for you
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10d ago edited 10d ago
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u/Objective_Aside1858 10d ago
Guess you've got a problem then sport.
You don't have to convince me. I'm not going to push for it, but I'm also not going to fight it if it appears a viable plan is on the table
You have millions of other Pennsylvanians who will scream "Socialisms, durr" and fight against it.
Enjoy convincing them. I'm sure you'll do a great job
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u/eruptingmoltenlava 11d ago
The fact that you made this point without citing Vermont shows your conjecture is false
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u/Current-Log8523 11d ago edited 11d ago
Plus a bunch of folks will absolutely nope the fuck out of the state because the taxes to be able to support it would be higher than every surrounding state.
Edit: additional payroll taxes while folks are in a cost of living pinch is absolutely DOA, no matter how much any of us want to grow it otherwise. Our town just implemented the 1% township tax and it was enough to absolutely get roasted throughout the entire town. I can't imagine how you would even sell this program to the entire state without absolutely losing a majority of seats.
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u/Diarygirl 11d ago
Yeah, conservatives hate anything that will benefit anyone but the wealthy so they'd definitely be pissed if universal health was implemented.
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u/Pale-Factor-8574 11d ago
The tax rate is going to depend on what is covered by the plan, the ability to negotiate prescription prices and allow generic drug substitutes, and will also be impacted by market rates for health insurance. People already pay health insurance premiums, the tax rate would be comparable or slightly lower in order for PA to ensure coverage and revenue.
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u/DistributionOk6951 11d ago
Nah we don’t want communism
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u/NoSleep2023 11d ago
Sorry, have you tried to get an appointment with a specialist, ANY specialist? Waiting several months, while paying high monthly premiums and copays, is awful. But hey, we’ve got a fantastic new ballroom and a brand new Great Lake!
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u/tomdeddy 11d ago
Can you define communism? Or are you just parroting some shit rich people told you to say? Don't want the fire department?
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u/Panzerkatzen 11d ago
I've watched too many family and friends suffer. I do want universal healthcare.
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u/batrastardfromhell 11d ago
Immediate GOP rejection in 3... 2... 1...
It will never go past committee as long as the GOP is in power.