Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Corbett has long sought changes in how the federal health care system is run, has finally agreed to expand its Medicaid coverage under terms of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but will let private insurers run the program for the state with 100 percent federal funding.
Pennsylvania thus becomes the 27th state to expand its Medicaid program, enabling 2.2 million more adults and children to be covered beginning Jan. 1.
Critics of the governor claim he was forced to accept the expansion in the face of a tough reelection campaign
"We're trying to show that by giving individuals personal responsibility in building in healthy behaviors that we're not just trying to do what we've always done," said Beverly Mackereth, Corbett's Department of Public Welfare secretary. "We're trying to build a program that changes behavior and allows people to benefit more from the healthcare that they're given.".