Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell says his $29 billion budget proposal for the next fiscal year preserves “essential health care,” including the Pennsylvania Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and adultBasic.

Ed Rendell

The two programs, providing coverage to children and adults who cannot afford the cost of health insurance, have been important components of his tenure as governor. Pennsylvania, because of Rendell’s efforts, has been viewed by many health care advocates as a leader in the fight to cover the uninsured.

Too many children cannot get health care today because their parents have lost their health insurance, the governor explained in a statement. He called CHIP “more important than ever.”

His budget proposal, for the budget year taking effect July 1, would cover 10,300 more children through CHIP, which provides comprehensive, free and low-cost health care to uninsured children whose parents earn up to 300%.

Rendell’s budget, which requires General Assembly approval, maintains its commitment to the adultBasic program by continuing to insure 50,000 adults in the new fiscal year.

Rendell’s office said the waiting list for adultBasic insurance has tripled over the past two years and now totals more than 380,000 people.

“The future of this critical lifeline depends on securing an agreement that continues to generate funds from nonprofit insurance companies, similar to the existing Community Health Reinvestment agreement that expires in December 2010,” Rendell’s office said in the statement.

The adultBasic insurance program provides basic care to working, uninsured adults earning up to 200% of poverty.