HARRISBURG, Pa., March 5 -- The Pennsylvania State Senate Democrats issued the following news release on the behalf of Pennsylvania State Sen. Mike Stack:

State Sen. Mike Stack issued the following statement on today's Commonwealth Court decision to strike down two state laws that diverted the state's tobacco settlement funds from the now-defunct adultBasic health insurance plan:

"This is a long overdue victory for the tens of thousands of individuals who relied on adultBasic until its demise by Governor Corbett in 2010. I joined these men and women on the front lines of the battle to protest the governor's plan and sought common-sense financial solutions to reinstate the program. I refused to let the governor forget about this program. The anxiety of losing their health insurance coverage kept former adultBasic recipients up at night and made them think twice about going to see a doctor.

"Upon winning election, the governor put health care at the bottom of his priority list and decided to end adultBasic in March 2011, thereby kicking 40,000 recipients off the rolls and dashing the hopes of tens of thousands more who were on the waiting lists. Too many former adultBasic recipients have suffered physically and emotionally because Governor Corbett snatched away their access to affordable care.

"While we continue to await a decision from the governor on whether Pennsylvania will accept a Medicaid expansion under the federal Affordable Care Act, it's imperative that the commonwealth act immediately to reinstate for adultBasic. Uninsured individuals, and especially those with a chronic illness, can't afford to wait until 2014, when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. They need assistance now.

"I urge the governor and the commonwealth to adhere to the court's decision and start the process of reinstating adultBasic."

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