PHCA/CALM Lauds ‘Healthy PA’ Approval
Association touts Corbett’s leadership in developing responsible plan that preserves safety net for frail elderly, helps low-income residents
HARRISBURG — Stuart H. Shapiro, M.D., President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association and Center for Assisted Living Management (PHCA/CALM), today issued the following statement in response to the federal government’s approval of Gov. Tom Corbett’s HealthyPA plan.
“This is a historic day for Pennsylvania and an important victory for our frail elderly and disabled residents. HealthyPA is the right plan substantively, economically and socially for our commonwealth. Even in the face of intense criticism, Gov. Corbett showed immense leadership and courage in doing what is right and responsible for Pennsylvania. That is what we expect from our leaders. HealthyPA is an innovative way to expand health-care coverage to more than half a million residents without raising taxes and without expanding the state’s already unsustainable Medicaid program. More importantly, HealthyPA ensures Pennsylvania’s frail elderly remain a priority.”
PHCA/CALM has been a strong supporter of the governor’s HealthyPA plan from the moment it was announced and unveiled.
Even with added federal dollars, an all-out Medicaid expansion is unsustainable in the state. One in six Pennsylvanians is already on Medicaid; with an all-out Medicaid expansion, nearly one in four residents would be enrolled in Medicaid. The independent Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates the cost to Pennsylvania, separate from federal funding, would exceed $2 billion over the next six years — money that the commonwealth and its taxpayers simply do not have.
The governor’s HealthyPA plan is state-specific, tapping into the private insurance marketplace to expand health care without pitting those already in the Medicaid program, namely the frail elderly, against new enrollees for already scarce dollars.
