What is real freedom?

Originally published at LNP

Gov. Josh Shapiro likes to talk about “real freedom” — a familiar campaign promise repeated eight times in his inaugural speech and twice in his first state budget address. If Shapiro truly stands by this, he’ll be willing to reform government policies that stand between Pennsylvanians and freedom.

Shapiro’s budget speech overlooked a fast-approaching opportunity to restore “real freedom” by helping half a million Pennsylvanians promptly exchange their dependence on low-quality, taxpayer-funded Medicaid coverage for higher-quality health insurance — insurance without long waiting times for specialists and more provider options.

This month, Pennsylvania will begin redetermining the Medicaid eligibility of more than 3.6 million Pennsylvanians. For almost three years, the state received a boost in federal funding in return for suspending annual Medicaid eligibility checks. This means that an individual who lost his or her job in 2020 (and needed Medicaid) but gained a new job in 2021 can still receive Medicaid benefits until the state reviews their eligibility, which can happen anytime over the next year.

Read more at LNP