Title
Authorizing the Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding the impact of the Commonwealth's failure to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Body
WHEREAS, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Affordable Care Act") establishes a new category of Medicaid eligibility, beginning on January 1, 2014, for individuals who cannot afford private insurance but are not presently eligible for Medicaid coverage in Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, The federal government will reimburse states 100% of the cost of expanding Medicaid eligibility for the first three years, 95% for the next three years, and 90% thereafter; and
WHEREAS, On Tuesday, February 5th, Governor Corbett presented to the Pennsylvania General Assembly the proposed FY 2013-2014 state budget and, in his budget address, Governor Corbett stated that he could not recommend expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania, under the Affordable Care Act, due to its cost and lack of flexibility; and
WHEREAS, Governor Corbett also stated that he sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting answers and guidance concerning the impact of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to Medicaid, will have on Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, In contrast to Governor Corbett's analysis of the Affordable Care Act, the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization, has estimated that Medicaid expansion would bring an estimated $38 billion in additional federal dollars to Pennsylvania between 2014 and 2022; and
WHEREAS, The Urban Institute also estimates that Pennsylvania's spending on Medicaid, between 2014 and 2022, would grow only 1.4% (by $2 billion) over what Pennsylvania would spend without expansion, once state savings on uncompensated care for hospitals are factored; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania would save an addition...
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