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.

Health Care

The Affordable Care Act: Pennsylvania’s Costs

  • September 17, 2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—often dubbed "Obamacare"—will cost Americans $1.2 trillion from 2012 to 2022 according to the Congressional Budget Office. These projections do not account for the…

Fact Sheet

Read More: The Affordable Care Act: Pennsylvania’s Costs

Health Care

Medicaid Reform Saves Families

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 14, 2012

Laureny Sanchez is a widowed mother of four, including 14-year-old twin Alan, who suffers from a tumor on his pituitary gland, heart problems and other medical issues. Under regular Medicaid,…

Media

Read More: Medicaid Reform Saves Families

Health Care

Reps to Guv: Reject Medicaid Expansion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 5, 2012

In July, 45 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives sent a letter to Gov. Corbett calling for him to opt out of the Medicaid expansion and the insurance…

Media

Read More: Reps to Guv: Reject Medicaid Expansion

Health Care

Medicaid Myth #3: Ryan Plan Kicks Folks Off Of Medicaid

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • August 31, 2012

This concludes our blog series on the myths of the Ryan Medicaid plan. Wednesday‘s blog showed why Ryan’s plan would preserve rather than gut Medicaid and yesterday‘s post…

Media

Read More: Medicaid Myth #3: Ryan Plan Kicks Folks Off Of Medicaid

Health Care

Medicaid Myth #2: Medicaid Expansion Helps Poor

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Priya Brannick
  • August 30, 2012

Yesterday, we began a series on the many myths surrounding Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan’s plan to reform Medicaid. We started with the myth that Ryan would gut Medicaid,…

Media

Read More: Medicaid Myth #2: Medicaid Expansion Helps Poor

Health Care

Will Paul Ryan Raid Medicaid?

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • August 29, 2012

The 2012 campaign continues to center on candidates and their allies calling the other guys “extremists,” and few bear the title as often as Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan.  For…

Media

Read More: Will Paul Ryan Raid Medicaid?

Health Care

Fact Check: Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity and Medicaid

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • August 29, 2012

Far from hurting the poor, Ryan's Medicaid plan will preserve their access to health care by making the government health care program affordable and sustainable. The plan has three main…

Memo

Read More: Fact Check: Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity and Medicaid

Health Care

ACA a Boon to Special Interests

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 13, 2012

Tim Carney continues to highlight the role special interests— including the largest players in the health care industry—played in crafting the socalled Affordable Care Act, dispelling the myth that…

Media

Read More: ACA a Boon to Special Interests

Health Care

Pizza, Burgers and Health Care Reform

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 10, 2012

The devastating side effects of the Affordable Care Act are multiplying every day. It’s not uncommon to hear that premiums are rising, about 7 percent next year, according to the…

Media

Read More: Pizza, Burgers and Health Care Reform

Health Care

State Officials Give Medicaid Expansion a Thumbs Down

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 7, 2012

Is expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act a good idea for states? According to state budget directors across the country, the answer is a resounding no.  A recent survey conducted by…

Media

Read More: State Officials Give Medicaid Expansion a Thumbs Down

Health Care

Medicaid Big Threat to States

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 23, 2012

A new study by the State Budget Crisis Task Force found Medicaid is one of the six biggest threats facing states. That should be no surprise to our readers.

Media

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Health Care

ACA Encourages Young & Healthy to Stay Uninsured

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • July 12, 2012

An AP article claims the Affordable Care Act will lower the cost of insurance for young adults through a host of government interventions such as new mandates, Medicaid…

Media

Read More: ACA Encourages Young & Healthy to Stay Uninsured

Health Care

States Take a Stand Against Medicaid Expansion

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 10, 2012

The Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act would cost Pennsylvania an additional $2 billion through 2019, should the commonwealth participate.  That represents merely the state share, as taxes…

Media

Read More: States Take a Stand Against Medicaid Expansion

Health Care

What if Congress Passed the “TV Mandate”?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 9, 2012

A friend of mine recently purchased a new flat screen TV, getting a no-interest loan for three years to finance it. He remarked in amazement at this wonder, noting he…

Media

Read More: What if Congress Passed the “TV Mandate”?

Health Care

State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health Care

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 3, 2012

The Supreme Court health care ruling last week gave Pennsylvania two opportunities to undermine the Affordable Care Act. States can decline to set up a state exchange and choose not…

Media

Read More: State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health Care

Health Care

Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 28, 2012

My response to today’s Supreme Court of the United States ruling on President Obama’s healthcare reform law: Just because something is ruled Constitutional doesn’t make it affordable, sustainable or…

Media

Read More: Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical

Health Care

New Healthcare Regs Would Cost PA Taxpayers $50 Million

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • May 15, 2012

A bill on the floor of the state House would circumvent consumer freedom when it comes to prescription drugs. Many employers, including the state, encourage employees to buy less costly…

Media

Read More: New Healthcare Regs Would Cost PA Taxpayers $50 Million

Health Care

Medicaid Flexibility: The Key to a Sustainable Safety Net

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 13, 2012

As we inch towards the state budget deadline, welfare spending reductions in Pennsylvania continue to be contentious. The reductions that are proposed concentrate on 20 percent of spending, since…

Media

Read More: Medicaid Flexibility: The Key to a Sustainable Safety Net

Health Care

Medicaid Waivers & the Looming Fiscal Crisis

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 9, 2012

In the waning days of 2008, the state of Rhode Island secured a global waiver for its Medicaid program. The waiver exempted the state from many federal rules and mandates in exchange for a…

Media

Read More: Medicaid Waivers & the Looming Fiscal Crisis

Health Care

Not Why I’m Here

  • Charles Mitchell
  • March 30, 2012

“Why am I here?”  That’s an excellent question to ask yourself if you work in Harrisburg.  This week, as I read a piece by Karen Langley in the Pittsburgh…

Media

Read More: Not Why I’m Here

Health Care

Change We Can’t Afford

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • March 28, 2012

This week, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act celebrated its two-year anniversary before the U.S. Supreme Court. The controversial health care law finds itself in front of the highest…

Commentary

Read More: Change We Can’t Afford