Pennsylvania’s AdultBasic Shut Down; 40,000 Lose Their Affordable Health Insurance Coverage Today

Pennsylvania’s pre-existing condition insurance plan (PCIP) may be a model of affordable health insurance coverage, but another group of Pennsylvanians are  feeling the health insurance pain big-time today. 40,000 low-income Pennsylvanians lose their health insurance coverage today as Pennsylvania’s AdultBasic health insurance program runs out of money and has to shut down.

AdultBasic was started in 2002 with money from Pennsylvania’s tobacco settlement and has provided basic, affordable health insurance to low-income Pennsylvanians for $36 a month since then.  Similar health insurance would cost at least $300 a month on the open market, much more than many low-income Pennsylvanians can afford.  Since AdultBasic‘s start, a whopping 500,000 Pennsylvanians have been put on the waitlist for the affordable health insurance.

With the tobacco money gone and a tight state budget, there are no plans to replace AdultBasic.  Advocates for low-income Pennsylvanians are planning a candlelight vigil for the affordable health insurance program at the governor’s residence in Harrisburg tonight.

Are losing your AdultBasic health insurance today? Tell us about it!

Related posts:

1. 40,000 in Pennsylvania to Lose Health Insurance Coverage as AdultBasic is Cut
2. Bad News: Pennsylvania to Increase Health Insurance Rates for State Health Insurance Program
3. Healthcare Reform: New York’s Interim High-Risk Health Insurance Pool Finally Opens for Enrollment; Coverage to Begin October 1
4. Pennsylvania Interim High-Risk Health Insurance Pool Delayed Until September
5. States Receive More Than $200 Million for Adding Uninsured Children to Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)