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

More Side Effects of Obamacare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 18, 2010

Every day it seems we are hearing more bad news about the effects of the new health care reform law. From rising premiums to narrowing coverage, the side effects…

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Health Care

Big Gas, Big Fast Food Chains, and Big Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 12, 2010

PA Independent reports that the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale sat in on the Rendell and the Conquistadors’ Columbus Day meeting: Although 75 companies currently operate wells…

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Health Care

ObamaCare will Dramatically Increase Medicaid Costs in PA

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 6, 2010

A reader asked us what kind of effect ObamaCare would have on Medicaid costs in Pennsylvania. We’ve put together some numbers, and it’s not pretty. First of all, even without…

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Government Accountability

Grassroots Activists Battle Special Interest Agenda

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 29, 2010

Earlier this year, we blogged on HB 2246, which would have allowed trial lawyers in auto cases to suggest the amount of compensation their plaintiffs should receive for their…

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Health Care

PA Medicaid Enrollment Reaches All-Time High

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 23, 2010

One in six Pennsylvanians are now eligible for Medicaid or Medical Assistance, thanks to the economic downturn and generous eligibility standards. The Post-Gazette reports 2.2 million individuals now rely…

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Health Care

Why Obama Can’t “Sell” the Health Care Law

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2010

The AP writes that President Obama blames himself for not “selling” the health care law — this despite giving dozens of speeches on the issue and spending millions…

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Health Care

Insurance Hypocrisy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 27, 2010

I saw a commercial during an episode of Jeopardy from the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority. It warns people against trying to buy car insurance after an accident…

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Health Care

“Explaining” ObamaCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2010

Merrill Matthews has a piece up on Forbes.com on why ObamaCare needs explaining…to those who voted for it. The report also says, “It is critical to reassure seniors…

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Health Care

States Saying No to Individual Mandate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 11, 2010

Merrill Matthews has a good article up on Forbes about what states are doing to fight the individual health insurance mandate in the new law. He touches both on…

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Health Care

Missouri Voters Reject Obamacare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2010

Last night, Missouri voters passed Proposition C. The initiative would prevent the state from enforcing any mandate on individuals to buy health insurance. The measure was opposed by every…

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Government Accountability

The Tort Anti-Reform of HB 2246

  • July 6, 2010

Citizens to Protect PA Jobs recently issued an action alert on HB 2246, which flies in the face of the type of tort reform Pennsylvania needs. A hindrance…

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Government Accountability

Tort Reform Opponents: “Let Us Eat Cake”

  • June 16, 2010

This month the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) released its U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2010 Report chronicling the critical condition of tort, one facet of America’s law system. Pennsylvania shuffles…

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Health Care

Obama Concedes CF was Right About Slacker Mandate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 11, 2010

I hate to toot my own horn (wink wink), but a few months ago, I wrote that a “slacker mandate” included in the federal health care bill would fail…

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Health Care

PA Senate Passes High Risk Pool Legislation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 6, 2010

The Pennsylvania Senate on Monday passed Sen. Mike Folmer’s high risk pool legislation.  The bill, SB 507, would create a pool for insurance companies to provide coverage to…

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Health Care

Devasting Critique of New Health Care Law

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 28, 2010

John Goodman offers a fine summary of a devastating critique of ObamaCare, produced by … the Obama Administration: Health care costs will go up, not…

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Health Care

Repeal It? Wouldn’t be the First Time

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 12, 2010

National Review has a good story of how Kentucky passed health care mandate like those contained in the new federal law, including guaranteed issue and community rating, in 1994.

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Health Care

Hate Mail on “Slacker Mandate”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 9, 2010

A reader took exception for my use of the term “slacker mandate” to describe laws requiring insurance companies to cover young adults on their parents’ plans up to age 26…

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Health Care

Mass: What PA has to Look Forward to on Health Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 7, 2010

Massachusetts – with an individual mandate, an insurance exchange, taxpayer subsidies for insurance, and a regulatory board overseeing all health insurance – was seen as the model for health care…

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Health Care

State Legislators’ Guide to Health Insurance Solution

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 5, 2010

Council for Affordable Health Insurance and ALEC have released their 2010 State Legislators Guide to Health Insurance Solutions. Here is a PDF version of the full report…

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Health Care

Repeal Obamacare Ad in Erie Times-News

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2010

The Manufacturer and Business Assocation, along with a whole slew of businesses in the Erie area, ran a full page add in the Erie Times-News calling for lawmakers to…

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