Nation IN BRIEF : PENNSYLVANIA : Child Health Care Plan Becomes Law

A state-funded program that will provide health care insurance to about 40,000 Pennsylvania children was signed into law by Gov. Robert P. Casey. The plan provides health care coverage free, or at reduced cost, and targets children of working parents who can’t afford private insurance, don’t qualify for Medicare benefits or whose employers don’t provide medical coverage. Preventive and primary care would be covered, including physician visits, immunizations, up to 90 days of hospitalization, dental, vision and hearing care and prescriptions. The $20-million-a-year program will be funded with two cents from the state sales tax on each pack of cigarettes.