Under Obamacare, Pennsylvania families have been forced to pay more for health care, and more than 800,000 Pennsylvania adults have received taxpayer-funded health coverage through a broken Medicaid system. Without Congressional action, states are unable to carry the full burden of Obamacare on their own. However, state policymakers can focus their own reform efforts on giving patients more control over health care and restoring Medicaid as a safety-net program. Access to health care should be measured, not by the number of those with insurance, but by the ability of individuals to independently secure the affordable, reliable care they deserve.

Education

Lowering the Cost of Living Key To Winning Keystone State

  • Andrew Lewis
  • September 23, 2024

Originally published at Newsweek What will it take for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris to win Pennsylvania—arguably the most important state in the 2024 election? The answer is simple. They must…

Media Hit

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Health Care

In Case You Missed It Pa. Health Care Experts Propose the Personal Option as a Solution to the State’s Health Care Woes

  • July 15, 2024

Harrisburg, Pa., July 15, 2024 — The Commonwealth Foundation held a webinar last week to discuss a transformative health care proposal, the Personal Option, which would give Pennsylvanians more control over their…

Press Release

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Health Care

Petty politics and bad regulations hinder telemedicine

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 2, 2024

Originally published at The Patriot-News Dr. Marlene Wüst-Smith practiced telemedicine before it became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, government restrictions sometimes hinder her ability to practice this…

Media Hit

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Health Care

Here’s what good health care looks like

  • Erik Telford
  • May 12, 2024

Originally published at The Patriot-News Imagine scheduling a same-day telehealth appointment instead of waiting weeks for an in-person appointment. Or for needed surgery, you had access to local…

Media Hit

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Health Care

Pa. House’s Passage of HB 1512 Is a Victory for Patients

  • April 10, 2024

Harrisburg, Pa., April 10, 2024 — Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill (HB) 1512 by a vote of 197 to 3. The Commonwealth Foundation applauds the passage of the…

Press Release

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Health Care

Health Care Myths and Facts

  • February 12, 2024

Summary Pennsylvanians want personalized, flexible, accessible, and cost-effective health care. Market-based reforms to make price information available, expand telemedicine, and modernize Pennsylvania’s Nursing Law can reduce health care costs and…

Fact Sheet

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Health Care

Getting Insurance is Simple. Getting Care is Not

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 14, 2023

Originally published at RealClearHealth ‘Tis the season for health insurance. Open enrollment for Medicare, employer-sponsored insurance, and Pennie plans are in full swing. Plans are plentiful and highly subsidized.

Media Hit

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Health Care

The Personal Option for Health Care in Pennsylvania

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 8, 2023

Summary Keep and expand the health care systems that work: Protect Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices. Allow expanded Association Health Plans (AHPs) so small businesses can offer more affordable coverage.

Backgrounder

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Health Care

Cutting red tape on Pa.’s nurse practitioners

  • Abbey Haslam
  • June 12, 2023

Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Expanding health care access has been a major political issue in recent decades — first, during the Clinton health care plan of the…

Media Hit

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Health Care

Expanding Health Care Access: The Easy Way

  • David T. Mitchell, Moiz Bhai
  • May 9, 2023

Key Findings Full practice authority for nurse practitioners (NPs) would increase the amount of time NPs can see patients by about 45 minutes each week.This translates into almost one more…

Executive Summary

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Education

Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll Findings

  • Jennifer Stefano
  • April 6, 2023

Summary The Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll, conducted March 24-29, is the first in a series of quarterly surveys taking the pulse of voters on the “state of the…

Memo

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Health Care

The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania

  • Dr. David Mitchell, Dr. Moiz Bhai
  • December 5, 2022

Key Points More than 580,000 Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage of primary care professionals relative to the population. This shortage exists throughout the state but concentrates in rural…

Backgrounder

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Health Care

Remove barriers to increase health care access in Western Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 22, 2022

Originally published at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Nearly three years after the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, hospitals still struggle with significant labor shortages. Health care workers are…

Media Hit

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Health Care

Report: Access to Health Care in Pa. Stymied by Restrictive State Laws

  • November 15, 2022

Harrisburg, PA – A new report from the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s leading free-market public policy research organization, found that Pennsylvania state laws that restrict the work of advanced practice…

Press Release

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Health Care

How Full Practice Authority Can Increase Access and Improve Outcomes

  • November 15, 2022

Key Findings Marylanders in border counties have better health care outcomes, including fewer residents reporting fair or poor health and fewer residents with poor mental health days.Before full practice authority,…

Report

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Health Care

Medicaid’s Endless Expansion

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Stefanie Mason
  • July 5, 2022

Key Points Medicaid enrollment has surged, increasing by more than one million since 2015.[1] The program now covers more than one-quarter of all Pennsylvanians.Medicaid is the largest program…

Backgrounder

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