This says that the health system that Corbett is creating to meet the requirements for Obamacare will be more expensive than it needs to be, and of course it contains the typical Republican attempt to impose religion on the citizens of Pa, a clause that forbids any plan from providing abortion coverage.
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CounterpointPA 5/1-7/2013 (with transcript and links to sources)
Counterpoint PA 5/1-7/2013 Full Edition (with transcript and links to sources)
Governor Corbett is shying away from the Medicaid expansion, hoping to get the same federal funds and spend them on private insurance instead. Antoinette Kraus, director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, says private insurance costs more, which means that same amount of money will cover fewer people. So what does Corbett value more, insuring the health of the impoverished, or padding corporate profit margins? Time – and his actions – will tell.
ObamaCare also sets up health insurance exchanges, which are centralized marketplaces for buying health insurance. The Pennsylvania House recently passed a bill introduced by Republicans that would ban any plan purchased through the exchange from covering abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is threatened. This was allegedly to prevent public funds from paying for abortions, but according to Planned Parenthood PA, ObamaCare already mandates that abortion coverage through the exchange be paid for separately to achieve the same goal. The true effect of the ban would be to stop women from spending their own money on such insurance, limiting abortion access in the state. The bill’s fate now rests with the State Senate.
Sources:
http://pennbpc.org/op-ed-expanding-medicaid-smart-thing-do-pa
http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-04/news/38281324_1_medicaid-expansion-corbett-medicaid-program
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/house-approves-pennsylvania-abortion-limits-684752/
http://www.plannedparenthoodpa.org/pdf/Press%20Release%20House%20Bill%20818.pdf
State Senator Rob Teplitz, a Democrat representing Dauphin and York counties, and State Representative Bryan Cutler, a Republican representing Lancaster county, have announced the formation of a new Government Reform Caucus in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The Government Reform Caucus has already recruited a number of legislators from both parties. A press release from State Senator Teplitz listed some pieces of legislation the new caucus will be supporting, including elimination of the automatic pay increases received by legislators, allowing registered Independents to temporarily change their political party affiliation so they can vote in primary elections, and banning public funds from being used by any branch of state government to hire outside lobbyists to lobby other state government agencies.