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

Philly Union Priorities: Politics over Teachers

  • James Paul
  • November 17, 2015

How would you feel if your employer took funds meant for your health insurance and spent them on partisan politics? Sadly, this is a reality for thousands of teachers in…

Media

Read More: Philly Union Priorities: Politics over Teachers

Health Care

Obamacare Premiums Rise, Again

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 28, 2015

Mark your calendars (for disappointment)! On November 1 healthcare.gov will launch its third open enrollment season. Here in Pennsylvania, premiums for the second highest silver plan will climb, on average, by 11…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Premiums Rise, Again

Health Care

Losers Outnumber Winners Under King v Burwell Decision

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 26, 2015

Yesterday’s US Supreme Court decision to uphold taxpayer subsidies on healthcare.gov brought a collective sigh of relief to Pennsylvanians, like Barbara, who depend on subsidies to make health insurance…

Media

Read More: Losers Outnumber Winners Under King v Burwell Decision

Health Care

King v. Burwell Highlights Need for Obamacare Alternatives

  • June 25, 2015

King v. Burwell Highlights Need forObamacare Alternatives Exchange Plans Restrictive and Unaffordable Even with Subsidies Good morning, Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in King v. Burwell that…

Press Release

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Health Care

Affordable Care Act Brings Unaffordable Premium Hikes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 11, 2015

Pennsylvania insurance companies are asking for dramatic premium hikes on exchange plans. Highmark underestimated the cost of care for individuals on the exchange and is now requesting a 23%…

Media

Read More: Affordable Care Act Brings Unaffordable Premium Hikes

Health Care

Out of Control

  • May 27, 2015

Governor Wolf is facing a budget situation more serious than any of his predecessors. His proposal includes an additional $691 million in the General Fund for DHS, bringing the department’s…

Report

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Health Care

State-Run Health Exchanges: A Terrible Track Record

  • James Paul
  • May 14, 2015

Governor Wolf is taking a big risk. His administration is preparing a Pennsylvania-operated Obamacare exchange if exchange subsidies from the federal exchange, or healthcare.gov, are ruled illegal by the…

Media

Read More: State-Run Health Exchanges: A Terrible Track Record

Health Care

State Health Care Exchange: A Dangerous Contingency Plan

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • May 8, 2015

A week ago Governor Wolf announced his plan to create a state-based health care exchange if the U.S. Supreme Court nixes taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies through the federal…

Media

Read More: State Health Care Exchange: A Dangerous Contingency Plan

Health Care

Unlike Medicaid, Charity Clinics Lead to Independence

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 29, 2015

This week marks the beginning of Pennsylvania’s transition from Healthy PA to full Medicaid expansion. Over 100,000 beneficiaries were transferred to the traditional one-size-fits-all healthcare plan known for limited…

Media

Read More: Unlike Medicaid, Charity Clinics Lead to Independence

Health Care

Judge Halts Stealth Unionization Scheme

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 23, 2015

A Commonwealth Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction to stop full enforcement of Gov. Tom Wolf's executive order to stealthily unionize home healthcare workers. For folks like…

Media

Read More: Judge Halts Stealth Unionization Scheme

Health Care

Five Years After Obamacare Charity Care Demand Soars

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 23, 2015

Five years later, the promises of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ring hollow for too many Pennsylvanians. The law’s numerous mandates and regulations continue to drive up the cost of…

Media

Read More: Five Years After Obamacare Charity Care Demand Soars

Health Care

Beyond Medicaid Expansion: Helping the Poor

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 10, 2015

Yesterday’s announcement that Healthy PA will be rolled back in favor of full-scale Medicaid expansion misses the point. Instead of unraveling the few positive reforms incoporated in the original Medicaid waiver,…

Media

Read More: Beyond Medicaid Expansion: Helping the Poor

Health Care

Breaking Out of the Fortress & Into the Frontier

  • James Paul
  • January 30, 2015

What is the ultimate goal of health care reform? Is it to provide all Americans with insurance cards? Or is it to enhance access to quality care at more affordable…

Media

Read More: Breaking Out of the Fortress & Into the Frontier

Health Care

Obamacare Failing Big Time

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 9, 2015

According to John Micek’s reading of a recent Gallup poll on health insurance, Obamacare is “working after all.” In reality, though, Gallup’s findings indicate that the health care overhaul…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Failing Big Time

Health Care

New Wave of Obamacare Price Hikes Arrives

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 17, 2014

Regina Weinhardt handles benefits for her family’s plumbing business in Delaware County. In business since 1962, providing health care to their employees has always been a priority, “My father started…

Media

Read More: New Wave of Obamacare Price Hikes Arrives

Health Care

Bracing for Obamacare Rate Hikes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 12, 2014

Only three days until the Obamacare exchanges open for 2015 enrollment. Last Sunday, the federal government released preliminary rates for window shopping. We compared the cheapest insurance plans in…

Media

Read More: Bracing for Obamacare Rate Hikes

Health Care

ACA Delivers Low-Quality, High Cost Care

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 30, 2014

The federal government’s health care overhaul is quickly becoming “Medicaid for all.” The more we learn about the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) newly insured population, the clearer it becomes that…

Media

Read More: ACA Delivers Low-Quality, High Cost Care

Health Care

Huge Premium Hikes Expected in PA Exchange

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 24, 2014

Premiums are poised to rise significantly in Pennsylvania in year two of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Three insurers announced this week that they are seeking premium increases of…

Media

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Health Care

Audio: Healthcare Solutions Week—What Comes After Obamacare?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 16, 2014

Four years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, few think healthcare is more affordable. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs are rising, a new wave of Pennsylvanians are losing their…

Media

Read More: Audio: Healthcare Solutions Week—What Comes After Obamacare?