1,000 People Rally for Health Care
       About 1,000 people are expected to gather at the State House Wednesday to support legislation aimed at expanding state-funded health insurance, requiring employers to provide insurance or pay a fee, and providing more funding to help small businesses afford to offer insurance.
       Affordable Care Today, an umbrella group representing two dozen hospitals, advocacy groups and health industry trade associations, is organizing the rally at noon in Nurses Hall. The Health Care Financing Committee will hold a public hearing in Gardner Auditorium at 10 am on proposals to expand health care insurance access, including two bills sponsored by Senate President Robert Travaglini, who is expected to testify during the hearing.
       As health care costs have increased, along with the numbers of uninsured residents, bipartisan support for a legislative remedy has swelled, but it remains unclear when lawmakers will act and which proposal will gather the necessary consensus.