HARRISBURG, November 19, 2012 – – State Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery) today issued the following statement in response to comments Gov. Tom Corbett made today regarding the potential costs of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. The governor said Pennsylvania may incur large expenses in the future and that Medicaid expansion would cost Pennsylvania $4.7 billion in 2021.

“Expanding Medicaid is a simple choice. Not only does it mean health care coverage for a minimum of 500,000 citizens, but with the federal government picking up the cost over the next three years Pennsylvania will receive an infusion of $3 billion per year into our struggling economy.

“In addition, an expansion of health care in Pennsylvania through the Affordable Care Act would save valuable dollars through rebates and citizens better utilizing the health care system.

“Pennsylvania has already seen $400 million in savings from prescription drug rebates from pharmaceutical manufacturers to the state.

“The governor has always been a vocal and public critic of the Affordable Care Act, so we are wary of the numbers he has presented. As Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have requested specific data on costs since the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act and we have been stonewalled by the Corbett administration.

“We need a full, public vetting of the numbers the governor is using so that a complete and thorough analysis can be done to ensure that all costs and all benefits of the federal health care reform are included.”

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Please visit State Senator Vincent Hughes on the web at www.senatorhughes.com, as well as @SenatorHughes (Twitter) and Senator Vincent Hughes (Facebook).