Free Republic

When the Affordable Care Act's fourth open enrollment period starts next week, many Lehigh Valley participants will notice a sharp spike in premiums. In Pennsylvania, the average price for the benchmark second-lowest-cost silver plan for a 27-year-old is going up 53 percent, according to a report issued Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That's nearly four times the rate of increase nationally.

The Department of Health and Human Services extended the original deadline by which states need to decide whether they will be setting up their own versions of the virtual health insurance exchanges required via the auspices of ObamaCare, or allowing (making?) the federal government to do it for them, or forging some kind of partnership with the feds to get the things done --- meaning that states now have until this Friday, December 14th to report their decision to HHS. Many Republican governors have been leaning back on forth on which option to take, torn between trying to mitigate the...

Pennsylvania will not set up its own health care exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act — at least not for now, Gov. Tom Corbett said Wednesday. Setting up a state-based exchange would be irresponsible, Corbett said as he faulted federal authorities for what he said were inadequate answers to his questions about cost and other issues. "Health care reform is too important to be achieved through haphazard planning," said the Republican governor. "Pennsylvania taxpayers and businesses deserve more. They deserve informed decision making and a strong plan that responsibly uses taxpayer dollars."

A bill that would prevent significant parts of ObamaCare from being enforced in Pennsylvania has been laid on the table of the State House. The bill, HB 42, was released from House Appropriations Committee on Oct. 26 fulfilling a pledge made by Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Adolph (R-165) to Tea Party groups. The committee vote was 21-14 with all Democrats against and all Republicans in favor. The bill, introduced by Matthew Baker (R-68) on Jan. 19, says A law or rule shall not compel, through penalties and fines, directly or indirectly, any individual, employer or health care provider to participate...

HB 42, a bill that would keep much of ObamaCare from being enforced in Pennsylvania, will be held in the State House Appropriations Committee until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on ObamaCare's constitutionality according to the staff of Committee Chairman Bill Adolph (R) whose 165th District includes much of Springfield and Marple townships. ObamaCare has been found, in whole or part, to be unconstitutional by lower courts. The Pennsylvania bill -- which says "law or rule shall not compel, through penalties and fines, directly or indirectly, any individual, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system"...

HB 42, the bill pending in the Pennsylvania House that would keep much of ObamaCare from being enforced in Pennsylvania, is being held in the Appropriations Committee until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on challenges to the law socializing American medicine, according to Appropriations Chairman Bill Adolph (R-165). The idea, according to his staff, is to simplify any tweaking that may be needed.