Reps. Frankel, DeLuca: Corbett Policies Risk Affordable Health Insurance for Hundreds of Thousands in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 22 -- The Pennsylvania State House Democratic Caucus issued the following news release on the behalf of Pennsylvania State Rep. Dan Frankel:

State Reps. Dan Frankel and Tony DeLuca, both D-Allegheny, issued the following statement today after two federal appeals courts issued conflicting rulings on whether the federal government can provide subsidies to people who purchase health insurance coverage through the federal health insurance exchange:

"The court rulings today are likely to cause confusion and concern for the more than 300,000 Pennsylvania residents who have already purchased health coverage through the federal insurance exchange. But these families would not have to worry about the affordability of their plans if Governor Corbett had agreed to set up a state-run exchange in Pennsylvania.

"The governor failed to establish a state-run exchange in Pennsylvania, even after he took federal funding. Since then, he and Republican legislative leaders have refused to consider bills introduced by House Democrats that would create a state-run exchange and expand Medicaid under the ACA to make a half-million additional residents eligible for health coverage - including 20,000 Pennsylvania veterans.

"Instead of allowing Pennsylvania residents to benefit fully from all the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Governor Corbett has chosen to continue his political and ideological battle against the health care law.

"The most likely outcome is that the court recognizes the intent of the law: to ensure Americans access to affordable health care. But Governor Corbett's obstructionism could cost hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents access to affordable coverage, and risk their health and the financial security of their families.

"In the end, that loss would be the direct result of Governor Corbett's political priorities, not any federal court decision. He didn't do the right thing and build a state health exchange initially. The prudent course would be to do it now."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Pennsylvanians enrolled in subsidized plans through the federal health exchange save an average of nearly $3,000 a year on their premiums.

DeLuca, Democratic chairman of the House Insurance Committee, is prime sponsor of H.B. 225 (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2013&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0225), which would establish a state-operated health insurance exchange in Pennsylvania under the Affordable Care Act. Frankel, House Democratic Caucus chairman, is prime sponsor of H.B. 897 (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2013&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0897), which would implement full, federally funded Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania.

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