For Pennsylvanians in 'Coverage Gap,' New Medicaid Option Takes Effect in 2015
December 26, 2014
WHYY Radio reports that Pennsylvania will join about two dozen other states, including New Jersey and Delaware, in expanding health coverage to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents through the state's new Healthy Pennsylvania plan.Taking effect Jan. 1, it means an estimated half a million residents in Pennsylvania could gain health insurance through a program similar to Medicaid. The state's health care industry has a lot to gain , according to Rob Field, PhD, MPH, JD, professor of law in the Kline School of Law and professor of health management and policy in the School of Public Health at Drexel University.
"It means billions of dollars going to hospitals and physicians and other providers. It's estimated that Pennsylvania lost between $3 billion and $4 billion in 2014 by not expanding Medicaid," said Field. "So it will make up for that, and that is very important to the health care industry in the state."
View Story