Increase access to health care

“The people of Pennsylvania deserve quality, affordable, and readily accessible health care that meets the needs of their families and their communities."
-Governor Tom Wolf

Why is this goal important?

More Pennsylvanians should have access to primary and preventative care, be able to see a doctor when they are sick, and avoid costly trips to the emergency room. Increased health care access leads to better health outcomes, which are essential to a productive workforce and a thriving economy. When more Pennsylvanians have access to preventative health services, state-supported health care costs go down.

What are we working on to reach this goal?

Since taking office, Governor Wolf has worked to improve health care access and increase affordable health care options for Pennsylvanians. In addition to expanding Medicaid, the Wolf Administration established Pennie, Pennsylvania’s state-based health care marketplace, to provide affordable health care coverage to Pennsylvanians with first-rate customer service and a reinsurance program to reduce costs over time. Governor Wolf legalized medical marijuana, which now provides help to more than half-a-million Pennsylvanians with serious medical conditions. The governor also strengthened mental health parity laws requiring insurers to provide mental health coverage that is comparable to physical health services.

How are we doing?

In 2015, Governor Wolf took action to provide health care coverage to more than 720,000 Pennsylvanians by expanding Medicaid. Since then, Pennsylvania's uninsured rate has declined year over year, reaching its lowest point ever in 2017. Meanwhile, the cost of uncompensated care has decreased as more Pennsylvanians gained health care coverage.

Percentage of Population Uninsured by County

This map shows 5-year estimates of the percentage of each county's civilian, non-institutionalized population that does not have health insurance coverage.

Related Measures

Medicaid Enrollment

Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania's Medicaid program, provides access to health care for millions of Pennsylvanians. When Governor Wolf expanded Medicaid, even more Pennsylvanians – including working Pennsylvanians who are not offered insurance through an employer, people living on low incomes, and people diagnosed with substance use disorder – gained access to quality health care.

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