PHAN Response to Gov. Corbett's Health Care Proposal

from the inbox:

 Today the Corbett Administration held a press conference on Healthy PA.Antoinette Kraus, Director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network issued the following statement in response:

“Every state surrounding Pennsylvania has accepted Medicaid dollars to expand health coverage to working adults. Meanwhile, in the 11^th hour, Pennsylvania has put forward a complicated waiver proposal that could take up to a year to implement.Delaying another year means forfeiting much needed revenue to our state and forcing low-income Pennsylvanians to gamble with their health.

By expanding Medicaid on January 1^st 2014, Pennsylvania would allow hundreds of thousands of workers to finally have access to quality, affordable health insurance. It would also save taxpayers $522  million in 2014 and keep us on track to create 35,000 new, good-paying jobs.

The job-search requirement aims to solve a problem that doesn’t exist and creates an unnecessary administrative burden and cost to the state. Census data tells us the overwhelming majority of those who would qualify for expanded coverage are already working.

Hundreds of thousands of low-income workers, parents, and veterans will be left without health coverage on January 1^st. Our economy needs the much-needed boost that creating new jobs and revenue would bring to our state. Pennsylvania needs these Medicaid dollars now more than ever. There is no more time for delay.”