Category: PA Budget and Policy Center

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It’s Not Just a Number but Lives–the CBO Score of the AHCA

  By Health Care, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, Tump, US

Originally published at ThirdandState. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Republican health care plan, the ACHA, released today shows the danger of Congressional action in advance of a serious analysis of the impact of legislation. Though it was touted as a new and improved version of the bill that failed in March, the CBO analysis shows the bill that passed the House is no better, and in some ways, far worse. The CBO estimates that, at the end of ten years, 23 million fewer Americans will have health insurance because of the legislation, which is one million less than the estimate of their earlier bill. Most of the lost health insurance created by the AHCA is the result of the slow repeal of the Medicaid expansion and the replacement of the federal entitlement to traditional Medicaid by a per-capita cap on federal funding of the program. These devastating… Continue reading

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The Trump Budget

  By Federal Budget, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, Public Policy

Originally published at Third and State.   President Trump’s budget is a triple betrayal of his campaign promises, of working people in Pennsylvania and around the country, and of a uniquely-American economic order that has created the shared prosperity that America once enjoyed and should enjoy again. The President is, first, betraying his promise not to cut Medicaid, Social Security, and the social safety net, that is, programs relied on by those left behind in a changing economy. In doing so he is, second, betraying the promise that America has made to working people to ensure that they have the important assistance to meet basic living standards: food on the table, a roof over their heads, and access to health care that millions of Pennsylvanians rely on. The budget proposal calls for a huge reduction in these vital programs in order to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy and… Continue reading

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ACA Repeal Puts Pennsylvanians Who Work for Large Corporations At Risk

  By ACA, Health Care, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, US

The disastrous implications of the GOP health care bill are becoming ever more apparent, especially for those who get their insurance from large national corporations. Under the bill, even if Pennsylvania does not opt-out of the federal essential benefits regulation, large multi-state employers could choose to deny Pennsylvanians coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or particular conditions, such as pregnancy. Or they could impose annual or lifetime limits on coverage. Over 62% of Pennsylvanians have employer-based coverage, one of the highest rates in the country. Millions of Pennsylvanians get their insurance from large, multi-state corporations that also operate in states that are likely to opt-out of the federal essential benefit rule. So all of these scenarios could happen: Someone from Pittsburgh who works for Wal-Mart gets pregnant and discovers that pregnancy is not covered by Wal-Mart’s health insurance. When she leaves, she is responsible for the entire bill. A pregnancy with… Continue reading

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They Can’t Buy Us Off

  By ACA, Health Care, PBPC Blog posts

We are hearing today that the Trump administration is “buying off” support from members of Congress for the bill to repeal the ACA by adding more money for one thing or another. The latest is a plan to add $8 billion to the $130 billion already set aside for the high-risk pools to provide coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that — as we have been saying — this is far less money than needed to provide insurance to everyone with pre-existing conditions. At a minimum, 54,000 Pennsylvanians would be eligible for a high risk pool. Even if they pay $10,000 a year — which many could not afford — the state would need $1.4 billion a year to provide insurance for them. But the AHCA, even with the addition $8 billion over ten years, would only give Pennsylvania $498 million a year. PA… Continue reading

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Trump is Wrong: the AHCA Will Make Health Insurance Unaffordable for Those with Pre-Existing Conditions

  By Health Care, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts

President Tump discovered not too long ago that Health Care is hard. So it’s no wonder he doesn’t always get things right. He said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, “Pre-existing conditions are in the bill. And I mandate it. I said, ‘Has to be.’” Wrong. In the last day, two respected organizations, Consumers Union and AARP, confirmed what we said two weeks ago:  the AHCA will make it impossible for many people — if not most people — with pre-existing conditions to afford health insurance if their state opts out of the ACA rules that guarantee people with pre-existing are offered insurance at the same rates as those without them. A million people in Pennsylvania are threatened if, as seems likely, the Republican-dominated General Assembly were to vote to make Pennsylvania one of those states. The Republican plan calls for high risk pools to cover people with pre-existing conditions. But… Continue reading

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hy Representative Thompson Should Vote No on the Health Care Bill

  By ACA, Health Care, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts

Rep. Glenn Thompson’s Background, Consequences for Constituents Are Reasons to Vote “No” on GOP Health Care Bill Given his personal history in human services, and the demographic makeup of the 5thCongressional district, Congressman Glenn Thompson has long been an advocate for older Pennsylvanians – not just seniors but those in the 55 to 65 age bracket as well. And that must make the upcoming vote on the Republican replacement of the ACA so difficult. As a loyal Republican, Thompson has reason to support it. But the bill is, in many ways, terrible for older Pennsylvanians, including many of his constituents in the 5th district. So the concerns of his district and his own history very much point in the other direction. The threat to seniors and near-seniors come from a number of directions. To begin with the threat to seniors: the per-capita cap  Medicaid expenditures will cost Pennsylvania $18 billion… Continue reading

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The New Version of the GOP Health Care Bill Is Even Worse Than the Last One

  By ACA, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, Pennsylvania, US

Marc Stier | 04/26/2017 Blog Having failed to enact a plan that would lead 24 million Americans and 1.1 million in PA to lose health insurance, the House Republicans have returned with a new amendment, proposed by Representative Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), which would lead to larger losses.   Though this new proposal is being touted as a compromise between moderate and far-right Republicans, in reality, it is a surrender to the demands of those on the right who have repeatedly rejected the notion that the risks of illness should be shared by all of us, young and old, healthy and sick. The new proposal would place the burden of health care on those who, because of their age or medical condition, find that burden most difficult to bear: It allows states to opt-out of the rule that prohibits insurance companies from charging people with pre-existing medical conditions more. It allows states… Continue reading

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Health Care Again

  By Health Care, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts

Originally published at Third and State April 21, 2017.  News reports indicate that, as many of us had feared, the Republicans in Congress and President Trump have not given up on their effort on health care, not only to repeal and replace the ACA but to institute a per capita cap on Medicaid spending. The new plan, as we will explain in a moment, is even worse than the last one. But before we get to the details, we need to stop and ask, “why are we here again?” Knowing the answer to that question is critical to understanding what the Republicans propose. Why Health Care: Avoiding the Loser Label There are basically two reasons the Republicans are seeking a mulligan on health care. The first is that Trump and the Republicans promised to repeal the ACA and don’t want to look like losers to their hard-core, right-wing voters and… Continue reading

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Facts, Not Hysteria, About the Soda Tax

  By Budget analysis, PA Budget and Policy Center, Philadelphia, Sugary Drink Tax

Originally published by the Philadelphia Business Journal on April 20, 2017. Also at Third and State.  Co-authored by Diana Polson. The reaction of the beverage industry to the Philadelphia soda tax continues to be self-centered, hysterical, and dubious. Before looking at their claims, let’s keep in mind something very important: every tax has some negative consequences for some businesses. And, yes, it is a shame if some business absorbs some costs and a few people lose jobs as a result. But public policy has to be driven by the consequences for all of us. So, the question is not whether an individual business is hurt by the Philadelphia soda tax, but whether the city and its citizens benefit on the whole. We think the answer is clearly yes, not just because of the investment in Pre-K education and community recreation centers made possible by this tax, but because of the… Continue reading

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The (Wholly Inadequate) GOP Budget Proposal (HB 218)

  By PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, Pennsylvania Budget

The House Republican Budget proposal for 2017-18 is deeply problematic in six respects. First, the proposal does not close the state’s budget deficit, but leaves a gap of close to $800 million. Most of the revenue ideas presented by the House Republican Caucus to fill that gap are similar to the one-time revenues and fund transfers that have failed to fix our structural deficit in the past. The Republicans do not seem to be considering any proposal to increase recurring revenues by fixing our upside-down tax system. Second, the House Republican budget widens, rather than closes, the state’s investment deficit, especially in education, environmental protection, human services, and community and economic development: Education: It proposes $50 million less for Pre-K education and Head Start than the Governor’s budget, as well as eliminates the $8.5 million safe school initiative. Environmental Protection: It proposes $9 million less than the Governor’s budget for… Continue reading