Pennsylvania's GOP Governor Flips To Support Obamacare Medicaid Expansion: Reports

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett may be the 10th Republican governor to back a Medicaid expansion in his state under President Barack Obama's health care reform law, according to reports.

Corbett declared in February that Pennsylvania wouldn't open Medicaid to more poor people under the law, but he will reverse that position and support a version of the expansion, Lancaster Online reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources. Corbett will make a Medicaid announcement soon, two Corbett aides confirmed to PoliticsPA.

A Medicaid expansion would provide health coverage to 682,000 people in Pennsylvania, according to the Lancaster Online report. Not counting Pennsylvania, 24 states and the District of Columbia plan to broaden Medicaid under Obamacare starting next year.

By supporting the Medicaid expansion, Corbett would join fellow Republican governors, including neighbors Chris Christie in New Jersey and John Kasich in Ohio, in bucking GOP resistance to the health care reform law. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) also initially opposed the Medicaid expansion before changing course.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/pennsylvania-medicaid-expansion_n_3915978.html

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We're still going to vote his corrupt ass out next year.

[Third Doctor]

1. The guy is desparate.

[livetohike]

2. Governor flip-flop. I am going to do everything I can to defeat him.

He has done so much damage to our state.

[maddiemom]

14. "One Term Tommy"

[BumRushDaShow]

3. "We're still going to vote his corrupt ass out next year."

Oh HELL yeah.

[Dawson Leery]

4. He has to do something to take attention away from his protection of a child molester.

[durablend]

5. Don't trust him at all

Wondering what kind of hurdles and roadblocks his "plan" will have attached to it....

[Marie Marie]

6. Too little - too late.

Buh-bye Gov Fracking - your ass is grass. Looking forward to our new Democratic Governor.

[obama2terms]

19. Hahaha

Honestly anyone would be better than this guy. He covered up for a pedophile and I highly doubt there are many politicians republican or democrat that would have a cold enough heart to do so. That alone is reprehensible, not even counting the other things he has done.

[gopiscrap]

7. good

[egold2604]

8. his friends at Insurance Companies probably paid him because they will make billions off of ACA

[durablend]

9. Corbett denying it now

Says he's looking to "reform" the current program and not expand it (and he wants "private companies" to offer coverage instead)

I could've told everyone that...he's not going to give the citizens ANYTHING without a bunch of onerous hurdles to jump over.

Operation "Vote Corbett's Ass Out" shall continue...

[quakerboy]

10. One has to feel slightly sorry for Republican politicians today

On the one hand, if they advocate anything less than batshit crazy rightwing, they are succeptable to strong challenges from their internal tea party gone wild groups, who no longer seem to care about winning or losing general elections.

On the other hand.. in most states with any real major city populations, people are not really enjoying the results of batshit crazy policy.

[MrMickeysMom]

11. You BET we're still going to vote his corrupt ass out next year!

I'm leading the charge right along with you. Corbett only has the view to see what's coming, so he'll do what he can.

Meanwhile, I hope the AG will keep drilling down to connect his corrupt ass connection as the previous AG when he turned a blind eye to Penn State's mess.

[drm604]

12. It sounds like he's attaching a lot of conditions to it.

I'll accept it if blah blah blah...

[durablend]

15. Question

If one "qualifies" for Medicaid (according to income guidelines by ACA), can they still refuse to apply for it and still get the subsidy? Like you said, Corbett is going to attach so much crap to it (wouldn't be surprised if there's an asset test too) that many people don't want anything to do with it.

[drm604]

16. I don't know the answer to that.

[Daniel537]

17. No. If you qualify for Medicaid, you can only receive Medicaid.

This applies even to those of us in states where our Governor's or Legislature's have rejected the expansion. In essence, we are fucked.

[Daniel537]

18. Yeah, sounds like he's trying to take the Arkansas route.

Give people some money, instead of Medicaid itself, to purchase private insurance. Its a terrible plan which will actually end up costing states more money, but hey, as long as the insurance execs are kept fat and happy, its all good.

[Indyfan53]

13. Even if he did,

he is still too much of an asshole to be trusted. Hopefully, the people of PA. will wake up and vote him out in the mid-terms.