RST: PA Health Alliance on Corbett insurance plan

What to look for on Radio Smart Talk Wednesday, September 18, 2013:

Gov. Tom Corbett outlined his plan earlier this week that he says will help tens of thousands of uninsured Pennsylvanians get health insurance.

Under Corbett’s Healthy Pennsylvania plan, Corbett would take money from the federal government and use those funds for the uninsured to purchase insurance from private insurers.

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal government will compensate states 100% for five years, beginning in 2014, to expand states’ Medicaid insurance programs. Up until this week, the governor said Pennsylvania would not take the money and expand Medicaid, calling it unsustainable and adding he didn’t trust Washington to fulfill their promises. Corbett made a point of saying accepting the federal funding now is not an expansion of Medicaid.

Appearing on Wednesday’s Radio Smart Talk is Antoinette Kraus, Director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Alliance — an organization that has been urging the governor to provide insurance to the uninsured.

Listen to the program:

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Follow the latest news on Medicaid in Pennsylvania here.

Also, Hispanic Heritage Month began September 15 — the anniversary of independence from Spain for a number of Latin American countries.

Our guest Wednesday is Gloria Vazquez Merrick, Executive Director, Latino Hispanic American Community Center.

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