Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Candidate Proposes Expansion of Health Programs for the Unemployed

Robert Casey, Pennsylvania's auditor general, announced a plan on Jan. 10 to expand health insurance benefits for the unemployed as part of his bid for the Democratic nomination in the state's gubernatorial race, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Under health insurance programs that the state finances with part of its share of the national tobacco settlement, unemployed adults with incomes up to $17,180 for singles or $29,300 for a family of three currently qualify for coverage. Casey proposed to raise the limit on household incomes to $44,000. Those who qualify for the expanded coverage would pay monthly premiums on a sliding scale, but the average would be $50 per person, according to Casey. He said that an additional 52,500 adults and about 38,200 children would qualify for such coverage. The candidate, estimating that 75% of the state's unemployed have household incomes totalling less than $44,000, said his plan would cut the number of uninsured by about 10%. While Casey said he was uncertain whether the extension of benefits would be permanent, he described his proposal as an "immediate solution" to the insurance problems facing the unemployed and said he is planning to lobby the General Assembly to introduce legislation supporting the plan next week. But according to state Rep. Patricia Vance (R), Casey's proposal might face an uphill battle. "I don't know how many people are aware how difficult a budget year this is going to be. I think there'll be a lot of demands on the tobacco fund," she said (Stanley/Fitzgerald, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/11).