Expanding Access to Healthcare & Investing in Public Health

Home » Governor Shapiro’s Accomplishments » Expanding Access to Healthcare & Investing in Public Health
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Governor Shapiro is working to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for Pennsylvanians and their families, while protecting the freedom of Pennsylvanians to make their own healthcare decisions.  

The Governor prioritized funding to ensure Pennsylvanians have access to the recovery support services they need: 


Awarded almost $9 million in grants by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs from the historic opioid settlement spearheaded by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro to four counties to establish and expand services for individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders.  

Allocated an additional $10 million in Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ grant funding to establish six regional recovery hubs to expand resources for Pennsylvanians in recovery in their community and to 19 organizations to establish and expand substance use disorder services. 

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Governor Shapiro secured vital funding to ensure Pennsylvanians receive high-quality healthcare services and our essential workers are properly paid: 


A photograph of Governor Josh Shapiro signing a bill in front of a cheering crowd.
Signed a landmark, bipartisan bill into law that requires healthcare insurers to cover preventative breast and ovarian cancer screenings for high-risk women at no cost. 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget with $50 million for Hospital and Healthsystem Emergency Relief to support the vital work of hospitals. 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget with $20.7 million to increase mileage rates for ambulance services, protecting access to healthcare and ensuring that EMS workers and first responders are properly reimbursed. 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget into law, which included a $20 million investment to increase base funding for countries to provide critical mental health services and address deepening workforce shortages.  

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Established a health resource center in Darlington Township that helped over 500 residents impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment who have health, pet, farm animal, and air and water quality concerns, and rolled out a health resource network for residents.     

An infographic with an illustration of a giant stack of papers that reads "Eliminated the Department of Human Services' Medicaid provider enrollment backlog, which stood at 35,000 when Governor Shapiro took office, lowering barriers for providers to serve more than 3.6 million Pennsylvanians in the program."

Secured funding to expand maternal programming to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in the Commonwealth and signed Act 5, which required more data to be shared between the Maternal Mortality Review Committee and Department of Health around maternal mortality.  

The administration is supporting older adults age with dignity and providing Pennsylvanian veterans with high quality resources: 


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Secured final allocation of a $52 million federal grant for the construction/renovation project at the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home. 

Allocated more than $14 million through the Department of Health to 127 long-term care facilities to help maintain quality healthcare through workforce development, staff retention, and infrastructure for residents and staff.  

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Signed the FY2023-24 budget into law, which included $5 million for the Help at Home (OPTIONS) program to reduce the waitlist of seniors seeking services that will allow them to stay in their homes and a $1 million investment in grants for Senior Community Centers to improve safety and accessibility to continue to create safe spaces for older Pennsylvanians to gather and socialize.  

A photograph of Governor Shapiro signing a bill surrounded by older citizens clapping.
Directed the Department of Aging to develop its 10-year Master Plan for Older Adults to improve Commonwealth services to 3.4 million older Pennsylvanians. 

The Governor has defended Pennsylvanians’ freedoms while in office. 


Website snapshot of the abortion access web page on pa.gov/freedomtochoose .
Joined the Reproductive Freedom Alliance with Governors from 20 other states to safeguard the freedom to choose and improve abortion and reproductive health access.   
Launched a Commonwealth website to provide resources for patients seeking abortion care in Pennsylvania in the wake of right-wing judicial attacks on abortion.