Thanks to Republican Medicaid and ACA Cuts, Pennsylvanians Find Themselves in a Health Care Crisis
Isha Weerasinghe, Director of Public Benefits Justice at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), said while the national crisis impacts every American, states that implemented Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act over the past decade – including Pennsylvania – are feeling the squeeze especially tight.
“Even though it’s not great right now, access will get so much worse,” Weerasinghe said.
She pointed to H.R. 1, more widely known as the Republican-backed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which will soon require expanded Medicaid enrollees to prove they’re meeting work and/or community engagement requirements by reporting twice per year.
Weerasinghe said this bill will also re-define Medicaid’s disability designation, requiring patients to prove a disability will impact their ability to work for a year or more.
“This really limits people who will be defined as disability,” she said. “It’s scary to think about what we’re going to see in terms of eligibility.”
