Medicaid plan takes next step with feds

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa.

The U.S. Department of Human Services is beginning to consider of a proposal from Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration to use federal Medicaid expansion dollars to potentially cover another 500,000 working poor in Pennsylvania, his office said Thursday.

The federal agency is opening a 30-day public-comment period on the plan, called Healthy Pennsylvania, Corbett’s office said.

“We are encouraged by the quick response and positive acknowledgement from the federal government and look forward to continuing to work with HHS toward approval of the Healthy Pennsylvania plan,” Corbett said in a statement.

Corbett, a Republican, is seeking modifications to the Medicaid expansion envisioned by the 2010 federal health care law. Instead of expanding Medicaid, Corbett wants to use the money for that to purchase private insurance policies, largely for low-income adults who aren’t eligible now for Medicaid.

Corbett also wants to reduce benefits for able-bodied adults who are eligible for the current Medicaid program and require some newly eligible adults to meet job-search requirements. Both are getting criticized by advocates for the poor and uninsured as both unwise and hurdles toward making health care accessible. They also suggest that the job-search requirements idea will be rejected by the federal government.