U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, on Monday announced legislation that would ensure armed services members who are discharged as a result of combat-related wounds receive the full compensation to which they are entitled.Altmire's Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act comes after a bipartisan commission uncovered a Department of Defense rule that unfairly penalized wounded soldiers by prohibiting them from receiving their full enlistment bonuses.Altmire said his measure would correct the problem by requiring the Defense Department to provide veterans who have been discharged due to combat-related wounds with full payment of remaining bonuses within 30 days of discharge.The legislation, he said, is endorsed by the Military Coalition, a consortium of 33 nationally prominent military and veteran organizations representing 5.5 million members and their families.The House of Representatives earlier this year passed two other bills authored by Altmire to help America's service members and veterans.One of those bills would ensure the proper screening and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and the other would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow family members of seriously wounded veterans to take leave.———

State Sen.<B> Don White</B>, R-41st, is introducing legislation to temporarily extend a program that provides a financial safety net to help health care providers cover their medical malpractice insurance costs.White, chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, said his measure would extend the authorization of the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error program for one year, while preparing for its eventual elimination.Changes in the marketplace and the success of a reform package enacted in 2002, White noted, means Pennsylvania would likely be able to phase out the program.The 5-year-old program helps physicians pay a portion of their medical malpractice insurance premiums. The fund helps pay toward the cost of the $500,000 in MCARE fund coverage that the state requires each doctor to secure, in addition to the $500,000 in primary coverage from the private marketplace.MCARE assistance is financed primarily by a 25-cent tax on cigarettes and a surcharge on traffic citations.White's bill allows the commissioner of the state Insurance Department to more gradually shift health care providers from publicly funded to privately purchased medical malpractice insurance coverage.Under White's bill, funds not used for premium costs would have to be allocated as follows:• 50 percent would be placed in an escrow account to reduce the unfunded liability of the MCARE fund;• 25 percent would be used to establish a medical safety automation fund (electronic medical records) for grants to health care providers;• 25 percent would be used to support the reduction of health care associated infections.———U.S. Sen.<B> Bob Casey</B>, D-Pa., last week praised passage of a bipartisan amendment that he recently offered that would add $110 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services hiring program.Casey noted that earlier this year, President Bush's budget recommended providing $32 million nationwide for this program."This successful program not only increases the number of police officers on the street to fight crime but also emphasizes building collaboration and partnership between the community and law enforcement so we can prevent crime in addition to fighting it," Casey said.The COPS hiring program provides funding to local, state and tribal jurisdictions for the salaries and benefits of newly hired officers engaged in community policing.