Pennsylvania Health Insurance Individual Mandate

On March 23, Republican Congressman Joe Pitts, Chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, held a public hearing in Harrisburg to mark the one-year anniversary of PPACA. In testimony before the Committee, Governor Tom Corbett, who as Attorney General joined Pennsylvania in the multi-state suit against the law, reiterated his belief that the law’s Pennsylvania health insurance individual mandate is unconstitutional. He further noted he has joined 27 other governors in petitioning the Obama Administration to call for expedited Supreme Court review of suits challenging the law. Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine and Acting Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander discussed the regulatory and financial burdens imposed by the law. Specifically, Commissioner Consedine claimed the law’s initial reforms have already resulted in premium increases of up to 9 percent. Secretary Alexander said the law’s scheduled expansion of Medicaid will result in 891,000 additional state enrollees by 2019.

Tags: individual health insurance mandatepennsylvania health insurancePPACA