HARRISBURG — A political stalemate over how to expand state-subsidized health care is entering its third year, with the latest competing plans being introduced by political adversaries this week.

During his annual budget speech Wednesday, Gov. Ed Rendell will reveal a plan to double the number of people enrolled in the state's low-cost health insurance program by asking for federal aid, said an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Democratic governor has not officially announced the plan.

The state's adultBasic program currently insures about 45,000 adults who typically earn too much income to qualify for Medicaid, while 180,000 more are on the waiting list to get in.

Expanding health care has been a major issue in the Capitol, especially as more people lose their insurance along with their jobs. Rendell and the Democrats who control the House of Representatives have been unable to agree on a plan with Republicans who control the Senate.

The Senate GOP favors a plan to expand services through low-cost community health clinics. Sen. Edwin B. Erickson, R-Delaware, said Monday he will reintroduce a $50 million community clinics plan that went nowhere last year.

There are more than 400 such clinics in the state, his office said.

In the past, Democrats have said Erickson's plan — which is packaged with other bills designed to create other health care options — does not guarantee adequate medical care for the uninsured.

In January 2007, Rendell introduced a $1.4 billion plan to extend health insurance to about 800,000 adults who lack coverage. But that plan, and later versions that were scaled back in size, failed to gain traction with Senate Republicans, who criticized them as too expensive.

Under the governor's plan, doubling the number of people covered by adultBasic while extending the program to cover prescription drugs and limited behavior health treatment would cost little if the state can qualify for the federal Medicaid waiver, the administration official said.

According to the Rendell administration, the number of Pennsylvania residents without health insurance has increased to more than 1 million, while another 2 million poor, disabled and elderly residents have insurance through the federal-state Medicaid program.