Prosperity
Ending Poverty Starts With Increasing Work And Paychecks, Not Government Budgets
Originally published at The Federalist Lawmakers across the spectrum agree that poverty is a perennial crisis. But if they are ever going to come together to find an effective…
Read More: Ending Poverty Starts With Increasing Work And Paychecks, Not Government BudgetsMany Pennsylvanians face chronic unemployment, welfare dependency, and the cycle of poverty. This happens because labor incentives have been overridden by bad policies that keep millions out of the workforce and enact excessive red tape. We can reverse this trend by ending the practice of waiving work requirements on able-bodied Pennsylvanians with no dependents, removing barriers to employment for those seeking a fresh start, and creating a healthcare system without burdensome regulations.
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Taxes & Economy
The Dignity of Work in Rural Pennsylvania
The Brockway Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) is only five years old, but it has helped over 100 unemployed and underemployed Pennsylvanians find fulfilling and family-sustaining healthcare careers.
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Read More: The Dignity of Work in Rural PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
House Passes Work-Promoting Medicaid Reform
Today, the state House passed legislation, HB 2138, promoting independence among healthy, adult Medicaid recipients by requiring them to find part-time work or engage in job training to continue receiving…
Press Release
Read More: House Passes Work-Promoting Medicaid ReformHealth Care
House Takes Step Towards Transformative Welfare Reform
Lawmakers took a significant step towards strengthening human service programs today. The House Health Committee passed HB 2138 with bipartisan support to restore the dignity of work for people…
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Read More: House Takes Step Towards Transformative Welfare ReformHealth Care
What’s the Goal of Welfare Reform?
Pennsylvania's welfare system focuses on how much one needs to “get by” or how many different services and programs one can qualify for. These are well-intentioned attitudes that stem from…
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Read More: What’s the Goal of Welfare Reform?Taxes & Economy
More Dependency Isn’t the Answer to PA Poverty
Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller wants more people on food stamps (or SNAP). In a hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committee, she argued that because the program…
Media
Read More: More Dependency Isn’t the Answer to PA PovertyHealth Care
Missing the Mark in Medicaid
When it comes to welfare, state government asks the wrong question. That’s the premise of Rep. Kerry Benninghoff’s views on welfare reform in the latest Brews and Views podcast.
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Pressure Mounts to Create a Pathway to Prosperity in Medicaid
During state budget hearings this week, Pennsylvanians learned some unwelcome news about healthy adults added to Medicaid under the Obamacare expansion: less than half are working. The Department of Human Services (DHS)…
Media
Read More: Pressure Mounts to Create a Pathway to Prosperity in MedicaidHealth Care
Improving Medicaid through Work & Community Engagement
For the first time, the federal government is allowing states to require recipients to pursue work, education, or community engagement to maintain Medicaid benefits. With wide support in Pennsylvania, this…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Improving Medicaid through Work & Community EngagementCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania’s Overspending Problem Still Proving Costly
To balance last year’s budget, Gov. Wolf and lawmakers agreed to dedicate a portion of Tobacco Settlement Fund payments to cover a $1.5 billion bond issuance. This decision to…
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Read More: Pennsylvania’s Overspending Problem Still Proving CostlyCriminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reforms Continue to Benefit Pennsylvanians
Pennsylvania’s bipartisan criminal justice efforts are continuing to pay dividends. According to statistics released by the Department of Corrections (DOC), the state’s prison population fell by 863 inmates—the…
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Read More: Criminal Justice Reforms Continue to Benefit PennsylvaniansHealth Care
Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Medicaid Work Requirements
In other states, thousands of Americans previously dependent on government programs have transformed their lives and achieved independence thanks to work requirements. But Pennsylvania’s human services system still traps people…
Press Release
Read More: Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Medicaid Work RequirementsHealth Care
States Get Green Light to Propose Medicaid Work Requirements
It's official: The Trump administration has formally endorsed the policy of work requirements for healthy Medicaid recipients. For years states have sought this flexibility to help beneficiaries of Medicaid—government-run health insurance…
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Read More: States Get Green Light to Propose Medicaid Work RequirementsTaxes & Economy
Lawmakers Seek to Restore Dignity of Work
In the first press conference of 2018, House Republicans introduced a package of bills aimed at breaking generational poverty. Rep. Tobash urged reform given the desperate state of…
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Read More: Lawmakers Seek to Restore Dignity of WorkHealth Care
Obamacare Exchanges Continue To Dissapoint
Open enrollment for Obamacare exchange plans ends on December 15. It is convenient to blame the new administration and efforts to repeal the law for dwindling choices, disappointing enrollment, and…
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Read More: Obamacare Exchanges Continue To DissapointHealth Care
Obamacare Creates Another Round of Premium Hikes
Governor Wolf announced exchange insurance premiums will increase by 30 percent next year thanks to President Trump and Congress. The problem is insurance rates have increased every year under…
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Read More: Obamacare Creates Another Round of Premium HikesHealth Care
Restoring the Dignity of Work
The benefits of work are widely known. Yet major welfare programs treat work as a burden instead of the pathway to prosperity. Restoring work in food stamps alone could improve…
Report
Read More: Restoring the Dignity of WorkHealth Care
Wolf’s Wrongheaded Veto Threat
Governor Wolf intends to veto Pennsylvania’s welfare code (HB 59) due to a reform contained within the bill—even though the reform can reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. The modest reform instructs the…
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Five Medicaid Work Requirement Truths
Work leaves families better off. To ignore this fact and urge people to trust a failing Medicaid system is nothing short of a moral scandal.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Five Medicaid Work Requirement TruthsHealth Care
Higher Liquor Prices Just the Latest Hit to Pennsylvania Families
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced it would be arbitrarily raising prices on 422 wine and liquor products. This increase is a result of the “liquor modernization” efforts—which have…
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Read More: Higher Liquor Prices Just the Latest Hit to Pennsylvania FamiliesTaxes & Economy
SNAP Reform Shows Promising Results
Innovative work requirements have the potential to transform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from a program perpetuating poverty, to one fostering prosperity. Now, data released by the…
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Read More: SNAP Reform Shows Promising ResultsHealth Care
Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health Insurance
Obamacare repeal efforts have included transformative Medicaid reform, but retained many of the regulations responsible for collapsing individual markets. On Friday, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department released shocking individual insurance rate requests…
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Read More: Obamacare Continues to Destabilize Health Insurance