Lawmakers: Medicaid Expansion Not the Answer

Beyond Obamacare SquareRep. Gordon Denlinger and 37 House members sent a letter to Governor Corbett, urging the governor not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).

“A massive expansion of Medicaid that will cause taxes to skyrocket, for people to compete for appointments with fewer doctors and the state having to slash reimbursement rates and delay payments in order to manage billing is nothing we should aspire to or celebrate,” Rep. Stan Saylor said today.

“If we are truly interested in creating a more accessible and cost-effective health care system, this is not the answer. Expanding Medicaid will only compound our problems and could actually have the unintended consequence of decreasing health care accessibility, while increasing the cost for all Pennsylvanians,” said Rep. Bryan Cutler.

The Governor is expected to announce whether he will pursue an expansion of Medicaid during his budget address tomorrow. Back in November, Gov. Corbett indicated the Medicaid expansion is unaffordable, but he has not made an official decision. However, it is clear that expanding Medicaid is not only unaffordable for taxpayers, it’s a bad deal for potential enrollees, who too often experience long waiting times and worse health than those with private insurance.

Take a minute today to call your lawmakers and thank them for taking a stand, or encourage them to take a position in favor of patient-centered reforms.

For more on the downsides of Medicaid and Obamacare, see Affordable Care Act: Costs to Pennsylvanians.

Letter to Corbett: Reject Medicaid Expansion by Commonwealth Foundation