A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 12, 2003 Organizations Gather (Continued from Page A 1) in Pennsylvania is out of con trol,” said Guy Donaldson, presi dent of Pennsylvania Farm Bu reau. “This problem affects almost everyone, and it will un dermine our economy if we don’t do something about it. Builders, retailers, manufactures, food pro cessors, small business owners, and farmers have come together to focus on the problem.” Recent studies on health insur ance indicate that Health Mainte nance Organizations (HMOs) are seeking rate increases in 2003 that will average 22 percent. As health insurance rates increase, it causes additional strain on small business owners and farmers to find affordable health insurance coverage for themselves and their employees. Additional studies show rising insurance rates caus ing employers to consider health plan revisions to compensate for escalating premiums. Speaking on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Grange, State President Betsy Huber said, “The Pennsylvania State Grange is pleased to participate in this rally today, but we are not pleased that it is necessary. The health insurance crisis is real in our rural areas and especially with our farm families.” Huber also noted that 90 per cent of Pennsylvania farm fami lies have one spouse working off the farm, citing health insurance coverage for the farm family as a large reason for this. However, the problem stretches beyond the farm to in clude a wider cross section of Participating in Tuesday’s rally were organizations repre senting nearly every sector of Pennsylvania economy. Pic tured: Rep. Nicholas Micozie; Betsy Huber, Pennsylvania State Grange; Rep Anthony DeLuca; Guy Donaldson, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Kevin Shivers, National Federation of Indepen dent Business; Roger Zimmer, Pennsylvania Builders Associa tion, Brian Rider, Pennsylvania Retailers Association; and Robert Gueldner, PennAg Industries Association Highlights of the March Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Conference are scheduled for the April 19 Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council’s (PFGC’s) Foraging Around newsletter. Included: PFGC award presentations, conference updates, and news and information. Randall G. Renninger Certified Public Accountant Specializing in agriculture and construction industries “We help business people discover ways to cut costs, save taxes, and be more profitable” Call about our FREE seminars 535 W. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 (717)299-6480 ♦ Fax (717) 299-6390 Pennsylvania’s industries. “There is a health care crisis in Pennsylvania,” said Roger Zim mer, president of the Pennsylva nia Builders Association. “Keep ing health insurance rates affordable must be a matter of great urgency to the general as sembly and the governor.” To address the health insur ance concerns rising in Pennsyl vania, a concurrent Resolution (H.R. 95) to form the Health In surance Affordability Commis sion is pending before the House of Representatives. The panel would be comprised of consum ers, legislators, regulators, insur ers, and health care providers. Findings and recommendations would be due to the general as sembly by the end of the year. Joining the seven organiza tions in support of seeking an an swer for more affordable health insurance for Pennsylvania were Rep. Nicholas Micozie (R-163), chairman of the Republican House Insurance Committee, and Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-32), chairman of the Democratic House Insurance Committee, sponsors of HR 95. Micozie noted that a partisan discussion has begun on how to address the health insurance cri sis in Pennsylvania resulting in the introduction of HR 95 and development of working groups to begin the search for possible solutions. “We need to start immediately to meet with all interest groups to decide a course of action,” said Micozie. In his remarks, DeLuca stress- Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Guy Donaldson spoke about the importance of health care insurance reform at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. President Donaldson was joined on the capitol steps by members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB), Pennsylvania State Grange, PennAg Industries Association, National Federation of Inde pendent Business (NFIB), Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA), Pennsylvania Retail ers’ Association, and Pennsylvania SMC Business Councils. ed, “We have a health care crisis and it needs to be addressed. The numbers and statistics speak for themselves. As insurance costs increase, the number of unin sured will continue to increase.” DeLuca also noted that Penn sylvania has more than 2.4 mil lion people uninsured. Nationally, health insurance annual premiums for family cov erage increased an average of IS percent in 2002, the largest in crease in a decade. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers