Wolf Administration Gets OK For Backup Healthcare Exchange if Needed
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The Obama administration has given conditional approval for Pennsylvania to set up a health care marketplace in the event that the US Supreme Court upends the federal health care law.
Governor Wolf's spokesman, Jeff Sheridan, continues to insist that the federal government's conditional approval to allow Pennsylvania to create a health insurance exchange is only a fallback in the event that the Supreme Court rules that people are not eligible for subsidies in states where the feds run the exchange.
"This is only a contingency plan in the event that the Supreme Court rules that individuals are no longer eligible for subsidies that help them afford their health insurance," Sheridan said today. "This is the responsible thing to do, so that if there is a ruling that negatively affects people, the governor is prepared to work with the legislature to move forward to protect those people."
And Sheridan says if the Supreme Court maintains the status quo, the Wolf administration will pull the application for a Pennsylvania-run exchange.