As Passage of Health Bill Nears, New Estimates of Pennsylvania Job Gains From Lower Premiums

WASHINGTON, DC – As Congress and the White House are locked in the final negotiations over the health care reform bill, a new analysis from the consumer group Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group finds that the legislation will mean between 11,400 and 18,300 more jobs in Pennsylvania.  With job losses now the central economic issue confronting America, the analysis shows that the health care cost savings the bill will achieve will help businesses add new employees. 

“For years, rising costs have made hiring new employees more expensive than it should be-choking employment growth.” said PennPIRG Field Organizer Catherine Ngo. “By holding down health care costs, health reform will mean a brighter future for job creation in the Mid-Atlantic and across the country.”

PennPIRG’s projections are based on a January report from the Center for American Progress which found that reform could add between 250,000 and 400,000 jobs nationwide every year.[1] PennPIRG’s analysis broke down those gains state by state, based on each state’s share of private national health expenditures.

“We’ve got to put our country back to work.” said Ngo. “Representatives Jason Altmire’s and Tim Holden’s ‘no’ votes for health reform bill HR3962 was certainly a disappointment. However, Rep. Altmire, Rep. Holden, and the rest of Pennsylvania’s congressional representatives need to know that a vote for health reform is a vote for jobs.”