Medicaid

By Valerie Arkoosh and Marc Stier Imagine a new federal program guaranteed to provide Pennsylvania with $43.3 billion between 2013 and 2022 for repairs to roads and bridges. Imagine that the program is paid for entirely by the federal government for the first three years. After that, Pennsylvania will have to put in $4 billion. Imagine that despite the expenditure, Pennsylvania saves a greater amount because the new federal funding would replace almost $4 billion in state funding.

WASHINGTON - Several Republican governors have embraced a key pillar of President Obama's health-care law and agreed to a major expansion of Medicaid, representing a significant retreat from their party's widespread opposition. Many Republicans balked at the prospect of growing the already costly Medicaid entitlement program when the Supreme Court made that part of the health-care law optional for states in a June ruling. Supporters of the law worried that the opposition, driven by Republican governors, could undermine the entire health-care overhaul by shrinking the pool of Americans who would gain coverage.

Rich gains in Medicaid expansion The New Jersey Medical Assistance Advisory Council, a group whose function is to provide Gov. Christie with recommendations regarding Medicaid, recently added its voice to the swelling chorus backing a Medicaid expansion in the state ("Figuring out Medicaid expansion is not easy," Feb. 1). In affirming its strong support, the group argues that this opportunity is historic in its potential benefit to New Jersey, its residents, and its economy, and that the $2 billion on offer from the federal government to fund the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act is too significant to the state's economy for Christie to turn away.

HARRISBURG - Simultaneous boos and cheers broke out among legislators in the House chamber on Tuesday when Gov. Corbett said he had no immediate plans to expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income Pennsylvanians under the federal Affordable Care Act. The partisan reaction - among the strongest during his 45-minute budget speech - continued with instant news releases and social-media cheers and jeers, underscoring the political battle that still...

IN HIS BUDGET address Tuesday, Gov. Corbett is expected to highlight plans for corralling the staggering costs of state-employee pension obligations. In many ways, the pensions paid to some workers - particularly lawmakers - is a story of privilege and plenty. Lawmakers can collect their full pensions, averaging $35,000 a year, at age 50. (State employees wait until age 60, and theirs average $23,000 a year.) These numbers are important to remember when looking at the flip side: the millions of families in the state who make far less in salaries than state employees make in pensions.

HARRISBURG - Simultaneous boos and cheers broke out among legislators in the House chamber on Tuesday when Gov. Corbett said he had no immediate plans to expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income Pennsylvanians under the federal Affordable Care Act. The partisan reaction - among the strongest during his 45-minute budget speech - continued with instant news releases and social-media cheers and jeers, underscoring the political battle that still lingers...

Expansion of Medicaid in January is at the core of the federal health-care overhaul's effort to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, however, made Medicaid expansion optional for states, rather than mandatory. Though neither Gov. Christie in New Jersey nor Gov. Corbett in Pennsylvania has shown an interest in expanding Medicaid, it's difficult to understand what that means for the states, in part because future governors may opt to expand it and because grasping who is currently covered by Medicaid is not easy.

PENNSYLVANIA has reached a critical juncture. Following the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or ObamaCare, states can choose to opt out of the law's Medicaid expansion. The decision has been left in the hands of governors and state leaders. Here in Pennsylvania, Gov. Corbett has not yet reached a decision. This is curious because there is really little choice. Why? Opting into the expansion is a great deal for Pennsylvania. By opting into the expanded Medicaid program, the governor has the opportunity to help hundreds of thousands of uninsured, low-income, working Pennsylvania citizens, save our state hundreds of millions of dollars and provide a significant and much-needed boost to our economy, which will provide thousands of new jobs in Pennsylvania.

TRENTON - Advocates for the poor are making their case that New Jersey should expand the ranks of those eligible for Medicaid in what may be the next big decision on how the federal health insurance overhaul plays out in the state. They say that would save New Jersey taxpayers money and give far more low-income people health coverage. But doctors are apprehensive, and hospitals are not pushing hard for the change, which some anti-big-government groups strongly oppose. Gov. Christie has not said whether he was willing to let more people become eligible for Medicaid.

"One of the greatest losses in not expanding Medicaid [is the loss of] opportunity to put together all the various pieces of the system. " - Al Black, COO, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. " . . . We cannot ignore the $4.1 billion in state-only taxpayer costs over the next eight years that could occur as a result of expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania. " - Carey Miller, spokeswoman, Pennsylvania Department of Welfare. "It's confirmation of a trend.