I am a nurse who has practiced in the state of Pennsylvania for 23 years, first as a Nurse Practitioner for 17 years, now as a staff nurse at one of Lancaster’s local hospitals.

Progressives 4 Pennsylvania organized a Healthcare Forum to discuss the healthcare crisis in the state, 4/4/07. The Governor of Pennsylvania was in attendance.

The following is what the forum revealed to the 300 people who gathered:

Over 48 million Americans are without health care insurance. That doesn’t even address the problem with the under-served, and those without proper access to the system.

A notable problem not addressed by anyone on the Healthcare Crisis panel at Franklin And Marshall 4/4/07 is that there are over 1500 different insurance companies here in the US, all with different rules and different paperwork.

No wonder access to care is such a problem.

The system needs to be overhauled. Governor Rendell’s plan, Prescription For Pennsylvania, allows those who have created the problem to continue to get a paycheck, by rearranging the way everything is delivered.

The Ceo’s of the Insurance Companies continue to get their billions of dollars and the Pharmaceutical Companies continue to profit from the sick and suffering.

The Governor doesn’t seem to know anything about healthcare, anyway. That much is obvious: Like putting everyone’s medical records on the internet; Or like putting mercurochrome on everyone’s wounds in the emergency room; Or like letting nurses take over the health care system–talk about a war between the sexes!!

More than one in three Americans is either uninsured or under-insured, and studies suggest that being under-insured is almost as problematical as being uninsured.

People faced with large co-pays and deductibles avoid seeking medical attention until they absolutely have to. By then it is often too late to avoid a bad outcome.

Think about that 8-year old who died of a brain infection down in Baltimore recently because his family couldn’t find a dentist who would do a $60 medicaid tooth extraction.

His mother did not have $60.

Think about people or who have insurance that barely covers anything, like so many situations people face today.

The insurance companies are bound by law to generate returns for their stockholders, not provide customers (patients) with high quality health care at an affordable cost. And customers of health insurance, nevermind health care services themselves, have next to no leverage to influence the way insurance companies serve them.

All of my Canadian friends love the system they have in their country. The AMA (American Medical Association) pays to disseminate propaganda leading Americans to believe otherwise.

We need to directly ask Canadian Citizen’s to educate Americans about their Health Care Delivery system.

We need to ask the Governor how much Pac money he got from the insurance companies to fund his run for Governor.

The forum was a great beginning for opening our minds to this problem. As Chuck Pennacchio suggested, author of the “Family and Business Healthcare Security Act,” (a single-payor Statewide, comprehendsive healthcare delivery system), an Independent Impact Study is a logical next step.

Perhaps Progressive’s For Pennsylvania can lead the way for making this study a reality.

Pennsylvania State Agency that oversees the collection and reporting of State income taxes deducted from payroll checks is:Department of RevenueBureau of Business Trust Fund TaxesEmployer Tax DivisionDepartment 280904Harrisburg, PA 17128-0904(717) 783-1488www.revenue.state.pa.us/Pennsylvania does not have a state form to calculate state income tax withholding.Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows.In Pennsylvania cafeteria plans are not taxable for income tax calculation if used to purchase health or life insurance; taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are taxable for income taxes; taxable for unemployment purposes.In Pennsylvania supplemental wages are taxed at a 3.07% flat rate.You may file your Pennsylvania State W-2s by magnetic media if you choose to.The Pennsylvania State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:Department of Labor and IndustryOffice of Employment SecuritySeventh and Forster Sts.Labor and Industry Bldg.Harrisburg, PA 17121(717) 787-7613http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/site/default.aspThe State of Pennsylvania taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $8000.00. Pennsylvania requires Magnetic media reporting of quarterly wage reporting if the employer has at least 250 employees that they are reporting that quarter.Unemployment records must be retained in Pennsylvania for a minimum period of four years.This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.The Pennsylvania State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:Department of Labor and IndustryBureau of Labor Law ComplianceLabor and Industry Bldg., Rm. 1301Seventh and Forster Sts.Harrisburg, PA 17120(717) 787-5279http://www.dli.state.pa.us/The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $5.15 per hour.The general provision in Pennsylvania concerning paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer is one and one half times regular rate after 40-hour week. Pennsylvania State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire.The employer must report the federally required elements of:Employee’s nameEmployee’s addressdate of hireEmployee’s social security numberEmployer’s nameEmployers addressEmployer’s Federal Employer Identification Number(EIN) This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, or fax.There is a written warning penalty for a late report in Pennsylvania, $25.00 for later violations, and $500 for conspiracy.The Pennsylvania new hire-reporting agency can be reached at 888-724-4737 or on the web at www.panewhires.comPennsylvania does not allow compulsory direct depositPennsylvania has no State Wage and Hour Law provisions concerning pay stub information.Pennsylvania requires that employee be paid on regular paydays designated in advance.Pennsylvania requires that the lag time between the end of the pay period and the payment of wages to the employee not exceed fifteen days.Pennsylvania payroll law requires that terminated employees must be paid their final pay by next regular payday (by certified mail if employee requests). Deceased employee’s wages of $5,000 must be paid to the surviving spouse, child, parent, or sibling (in that order).Escheat laws in Pennsylvania require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after three years.There is no provision in Pennsylvania law concerning record retention of abandoned wage records.Pennsylvania payroll law mandates no more than 45% of minimum wage may be used as a tip credit.In Pennsylvania the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that minors under 16 must have 30 minutes rest after five hours of work.Pennsylvania statute requires that wage and hour records be kept for a period of not less than three years.These records will normally consist of at least the information required under FLSA.The Pennsylvania agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is: Bureau of Child Support EnforcementDepartment of Public WelfareP.O. Box 2675Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675(717) 787-1894*www.pachildsupport.com/Pennsylvania has the following provisions for child support deductions:When to start Withholding?First pay period after 14 days from service.When to send Payment?Within 7 days of Payday.When to send Termination Notice?”Promptly”Maximum Administrative Fee?2% of payment.Withholding Limits?Federal Rules under CCPA.Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.