PRSRT STD
Rep. Matt Baker
SPRING 2010
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Mark Yoor the Friday, June 11
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Calendar
0 1 0 S e n ior 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2
Expo!
Wellsboro Area High School
The Health Care Debate Continues in Washington and Pennsylvania
Dominating the news in recent months is President Barack
Obama’s proposed government-run health care system. Ap-
parently, as more information is made public about the plan,
more and more citizens are becoming outraged. In fact, in
Massachusetts (an overwhelmingly Democratic state) the
citizenry elected a Republican senator for the first time in more
than three decades after he campaigned on strong opposition
to the Obama health care plan.
Clearly, more and more people across the country are ex-
pressing their concerns about a government-run health care
plan, and what that would mean in terms of cost, access and
quality of the health care they could receive. Massachusetts
adopted a health care plan, which the Obama administration
included as some of its main principles, and after severely
straining the state’s budget and having insurance premiums
increase by 8 percent to 12 percent in a single year, the people
chose a new senator who would speak loud and clear in Wash-
ington, D.C., against a similar nationwide health care plan.
In an effort to protect the rights of the citizens of Pennsyl-
vania, I have introduced House Bill 2053, the “Health Care
Freedom Act,” which would protect your right to access private
medical care, and prohibit government from penalizing you for
not purchasing bureaucrat-approved insurance. My legisla-
tion would work to preserve the patient-doctor relationship as
well as individual rights to not take part in a government-run
health care plan. However, my legislation would still allow
individuals to participate in a universal health care plan if they
so chose.
House Bill 2053 provides choice, not mandates. By re-
quiring individuals and employers to take part in a universal,
single-payer health care system, we are harming patients and
threatening our fragile economy. The Obama administration
wants to establish a mandatory, government-run health care
system that will take medical decisions out of the hands of doc-
tors and patients and put them in the hands of bureaucrats.
A federally mandated health care system would erode the
quality of health care in America, and it would also place an
enormous financial cost on a citizenry still coping with a reces-
sion. In fact, it is estimated that the federal health care plan
U.S. POSTAGE
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HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 529
ECRWSS
POSTAL CUSTOMER
I am hosting the event with the Elder
Services Work Group of the Tioga Coun-
ty Partnership for Community Health.
Admission is free. For more information,
contact my district offices.
currently being discussed in Washington, D.C., would cost
the Commonwealth more than $1 billion. With Pennsylvania
already facing a multi-million dollar budget deficit this year,
the ramifications of such an additional financial burden would
be staggering.
On Jan. 27 at the Capi-
tol in Harrisburg, I hosted
a rally where we heard
from other state legisla-
tors, a Pennsylvania con-
gressman, a doctor and a
woman who experienced
a government-run health
care system while living
in the United Kingdom.
All of these people have
expressed a strong desire Rep. Matt Baker speaks at a rally
to stay out of a universal promoting his Health Care Freedom
federal health care plan Act legislation, which would preserve
and to prevent the state of the patient-doctor relationship and
Pennsylvania from enact- their health care decision-making
process.
ing similar mandates.
With the introduction of House Bill 2053, Pennsylvania
joins more than 35 other states that have either introduced
or announced legislation to block state or federal health care
mandates.
The Health Care Freedom Act is just one of several health
care measures developed by the House Republican Policy
Committee’s Health Care Task Force, of which I am a mem-
ber.
In Pennsylvania, we are fortunate that 92 percent of the
population has access to health insurance, through employer-
paid benefits or government services such as Medicare,
Medicaid, CHIP or adultBasic. However, we are continuing to
look for ways to reach the other 8 percent and provide them
with affordable, quality health care as well.
For information on alternative health care reforms and solu-
tions developed by the House Republican Policy Committee’s
Health Care Task Force, go to healthcareforpafamilies.com.
 Pennsylvania Health Care Reform Options
As chairman of
the House Health
and Human Services
Committee, I think it is
important to provide
you with information
on reforms that have been introduced
in the House to help improve the
health care system in Pennsylvania.
The following proposals have been
developed by the House Republican
Policy Committee’s Health Care Task
Force, of which I am also a member:
PA BasicCare: Provides an afford-
able, low-cost insurance product.
-Offers an affordable coverage op-
tion in the private insurance market
for individuals and employers with no
waiting list or deductible.
Individual Tax Credits: Provides a
$1,000 tax credit to individuals whose
employer does not provide health
insurance coverage if they purchase
their own health insurance coverage.
Employer Tax Credits: Provides tax
credits to small businesses with 50
employees or less who provide health
insurance coverage.
-Encourages employers to provide
health care for their employees
-Prevents crowd-out, whereby
employers stop providing health insur-
ance to employees
Disease Management Tax Credits:
Provides per employee tax credit for
employers with fewer than 50 em-
ployees who offer health care policies
which include “disease management”
protocols.
-Encourages consumers to have a
stake in their health care
-Lowers costs by reducing hospital
use
Cost Transparency: Re-enacts the
PA Health Care Cost Containment
Council and requires them to publish
health care costs. Requires medical
charges and reimbursement rates for
Medicaid, CHIP and adultBasic to be
posted electronically.
-Allows consumers to make in-
formed decisions regarding their
health care
-Keeps the market competitive
-Reigns in the cost of health care
FO R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , VI SI T M E O N L I
adultBasic Retool: Allows more
Pennsylvanians access to the adult-
Basic program by establishing a slid-
ing scale premium based on income
and requires the Department to verify
eligibility every six months.
-Removes barriers for eligible
adults to enroll in adultBasic
-Helps to lower the cost of care by
decreasing emergency room use
Expansion of Federally Qualified
Health Centers: Invests $25 million for
the expansion of Federally Qualified
Health Centers, hospital-based clinics
etc. to increase access to primary and
prenatal care.
-Provides a medical and dental
home
-Increases access to primary health
care
-Helps to lower the cost of care by
decreasing emergency room use
Dental Provider Incentive: Improves
dental access for Medical Assistance
(MA) patients by establishing a con-
tracted annual supplemental salary to
recent dental graduates, who dedicate
a certain portion of their practice to
serving MA clients.
-Brings dentists into communities
with a need
-Provides incentives to students
who pursue higher education and
training in dentistry
-Establishes quality oral health
care services across PA and improves
health care to MA patients
*Allied Health Professional Loan
Forgiveness: Establishes the Physi-
cian Loan Retention Forgiveness
Program whereby allied health profes-
sionals who complete training in the
Commonwealth and agree to practice
medicine in medically underserved
areas will receive a portion of their
school loan paid for by the Common-
wealth.
-Encourages allied health profes-
sionals who graduate to stay in the
Commonwealth
-Provides medical care in needed
areas
Health Information Technology:
Proposes a public/private partnership
to share costs of bringing technology
online for the prevention of medical
errors and greater efficiency.
-Provides better quality health care
services
-Provides seamless access to
medical records
*Health Care Freedom Act: Pre-
serves the freedoms of individuals to
purchase private health care insurance
and choose their own health care.
*Affordable Health Insurance Act:
Provides a tax credit for the purchase
of more affordable Health Savings Ac-
count (HSA) eligible policies.
-Targets the segments of the unin-
sured population who need and can
afford insurance but choose not to
purchase coverage.
-Permits flexible rewards for healthy
lifestyles, eliminates unnecessary
state and local premium taxes and
allows for more flexibility in plan de-
signs.
*Health Insurance Purchase from
Out of State: Would allow the un-
insured to access different carriers
and more choices by allowing other
states to sell their plans within the
Commonwealth. This will enable
Pennsylvania’s uninsured to custom-
ize and purchase the benefit package
that best suits their needs.
*Health Commissioner Study of
Insurance: The Pennsylvania Health
Commissioner, upon conducting a re-
view, will report to the General Assem-
bly on what changes to Pennsylvania
law and regulation would be neces-
sary in order to enable consumers in
the Commonwealth to purchase out-
of-state health products, along with a
proposed timeline for implementation
of such changes.
For more information on these and
other reforms created through the
House Republican Policy Committee’s
Health Care Task Force, visit health-
careforpafamilies.com.
*These legislative initiatives have been
authored by Rep. Matt Baker, Republican
chairman of the House Health and Human
Services Committee.
 Governor Delivers Annual Budget Address
On Feb. 9, Gov. Ed Rendell gave his annual budget address to
a joint session of the House and Senate, at which time he proposed
increasing government spending by $1.2 billion.
With the economy continuing to lag and the governor continuing to
request more spending, it looks like we are in for another extremely
difficult year. As of the end of January, Pennsylvania was $374 million
behind projections for revenue collections, and January marked the
21st consecutive month the state has failed to meet these revenue
projections.
Compounding our economic troubles are empty state savings
accounts, like the Rainy Day Fund; federal stimulus funds that are
set to expire at the end of next year; a looming spike in the employer
contribution of the public pension system; and predictions the state
will end the fiscal year with a significant budget gap.
Now, even with all the financial problems our Commonwealth faces,
the governor is requesting an increase in state spending by 4 percent.
I believe it is fiscally irresponsible to further increase spending when
we will end the current year with a deficit.
Following is a breakdown of the priorities the governor outlined
during his budget address:
Spending: The governor has proposed a $1.2 billion increase in
spending using $26.27 billion in state dollars and $2.76 billion in fed-
eral stimulus funds. It is important to note that $800 million of these
federal funds have not yet been approved.
Sales Tax Expansion: The governor is proposing a reduction of
the sales tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent, but would expand the
tax to cover 74 items and services that are currently exempt. This
expansion would not apply to food, clothing or prescription medication.
However, it would include taxing home heating fuels, water and sewer
services, death care services, personal hygiene products and non-
prescription drugs. The extra revenue raised from this tax would be
set aside in a reserve account called the Stimulus Transition Reserve
Fund to help offset the future termination of stimulus funds.
Basic Education: The governor is calling for 7.28 percent increase
in basic education funding. Most school districts in Tioga and Bradford
counties would potentially have a 2 percent to 4.5 percent increase in
funding. I will continue my calls for a fairer distribution of education
dollars in an effort to prevent further skyrocketing property taxes.
Budget Cuts: The governor is calling for reductions to the budgets
of the Department of Environmental Protection ($3.8 million cut), the
Department of Health ($7 million cut), the Department of Agriculture
($5.4 million cut), the Department of Labor and Industry ($3.1 million)
and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ($1 mil-
lion cut).
Budget Increases: The governor would increase funding for basic
education, county child welfare programs, mental retardation services,
services to senior citizens, the state police, the Department of Cor-
rections, the Department of Community and Economic Development,
and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Of course, the governor’s budget address only serves as a starting
point in the budget negotiating process. I am looking forward to learn-
ing more about the fiscal forecast for Pennsylvania as we continue
conducting budget hearings in the House, and working to produce the
best budget possible for the state that keeps government spending
under control and does not increase taxes on hard-working families.
N E AT R E P BA K E R . C O M
Expansion of Gaming
Industry Wrong Move for
Pennsylvania
As you are probably aware, Pennsylva-
nia recently adopted a law to allow table
games at slots parlors. I voted against this
expansion of gambling for several reasons,
including moral grounds, the social ills that
follow the gambling industry, the lack of
needed reforms to the original gaming law,
and the broken promise of using gaming
revenue for property tax relief.
Since casinos have been established
in Pennsylvania, more than 1,200 people
have voluntarily put themselves on a list
asking casinos not to let them gamble in
their establishments. This demonstrates
the clear harm gambling addiction is hav-
ing on many families across Pennsylvania.
Although no studies have been done yet in
Pennsylvania, we have seen a rise in other
states of bankruptcy, suicides, crime and
divorce following the introduction of gam-
bling establishments. This is not something
I think benefits our state, and I have been
opposed to legalize gambling since 2004,
when I voted against the original gambling
law to legalize slot machines.
However, it is also worth noting that
when slots parlors were legalized in 2004,
it was with the promise of property tax relief.
Not only have we not seen meaningful prop-
erty tax relief from slots, but this legislation
does not allocate a dime of table games
money to the Property Tax Relief Fund until
the Rainy Day Fund reaches a threshold of
$750 million. As our Rainy Day Fund has a
zero balance today, it will likely be a decade
or more until homeowners see any financial
benefit from table games.
Along with these disappointments, I was
also concerned by the lack of important
and necessary gaming reforms in the table
games legislation. Some of the issues
needing to be addressed include political
contributions to public officials from gam-
ing interests, allocation of the local share
of revenue, licensing standards and the
relationship between the Gaming Control
Board and casino interests.
We will see in time how much revenue
this gaming expansion brings into the Com-
monwealth, but with surrounding states
moving to legalize gaming, I do not think the
results will be as favorable as the governor
has presented. Time will tell.

LIHEAP
Deadline
Extended
Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
deadline has been extended until April
2.
The LIHEAP program is administered
by the Department of Public Welfare
(DPW) and helps income-eligible house-
holds pay for heat during the winter
months.
The original closing date of the LI-
HEAP program was March 15, but cir-
cumstances have allowed the program
to continue until April 2. The cash grant
amounts have also increased by $100.
Applications will be available at the
Tioga County Assistance Office at 570-
724-4051 and the Bradford County
Assistance Office at 1-800-542-3938.
Applications are also available from
local utility companies and community
service agencies, such as Area Agen-
cies on Aging or community action
agencies. LIHEAP cash grant applica-
tions are available online at compass.
state.pa.us.
For complete eligibility requirements
and additional information on LIHEAP,
visit my Web site at www.RepBaker.com
and click on “LIHEAP Home Heating
Assistance.”
Report Poor Road Conditions to
POTHOLE Hotline
Motorists are encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation (PennDOT) to report potholes and other problems
with state roads.
Based on the caller’s phone number, calls are directed to local
PennDOT maintenance facilities where problems can receive the ap-
propriate attention. Callers are encouraged to:
• Report the county and municipality where the problem is located.
• Report the state route number, which can be found on the small
white-and-black signs posted along state roads, where the problem is
located.
• Describe familiar landmarks nearby in order to help PennDOT
crews locate the problem.
The toll-free maintenance hotline can be reached at 1-800-FIX-ROAD
(1-800-349-7623). In addition to reporting potholes, motorists may also
report missing highway signs, shoulder drop-offs, roadway washouts
and other potential hazards.
Once notified, PennDOT will actively work to address pothole and
other roadway concerns when the weather permits.
On Feb. 4, Rep. Baker (second from left) testified before the House Judiciary Committee
and Supreme Court Justice Max Bear on his legislation (House Bill 2046 and House Bill
418) to create a uniform and streamlined system for hearing and deciding family court
and custody issues.

District Office Services

My district offices are here to help you. Services my staff and I provide include:
Assistance with PennDOT paperwork (lost cards, changes, corrections,
Assistance
special registration plates, vanity plates, parking placards for disabled persons,
applications for driver’s license and vehicle renewals)
PACE and PACENET applications for seniors
Property Tax and Rent Rebate applications
Voter registration forms and absentee ballot applications
Provide state tax forms
State maps and state park information
Copies of legislation
Tours of the State Capitol
Referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters
If you need help with any of the above or with any other state-related
matter, please do not hesitate to call.

Representative Matt Baker... Serving the 68th Legislative District

DISTRICT OFFICES: HARRISBURG OFFICE:
74 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 430 Canton Street, Suite 6, Troy, PA 16947 108 Ryan Office Building, P.O. Box 202068
Phone: (570) 724-1390 Phone: (570) 297-3045 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2068
Fax: (570) 724-2168 Phone: (717) 772-5371
Fax: (570) 297-5551
Fax: (717) 705-1835

Web: RepBaker.com Email: mbaker@pahousegop.com