Oct. 01, 2020
HARRISBURG – To ensure Pennsylvanians with disabilities won’t become ineligible for a valuable medical assistance program because they make too much money, the House Health Committee on Tuesday approved legislation by Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover).
Under a program called Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD), individuals with disabilities can earn approximately $61,000 annually before they would be shut off from important health services. These individuals pay in about 5% of their income to receive this service.
“What we have found recently is that workers will forgo job advancement opportunities, including pay increases, for fear that they’d bring home too much money and would lose the services on which they rely,” Klunk said. “My
House Bill 2202 fixes this problem by increasing the income cap.”
Specifically, the legislation creates a new section that requires a worker with job success to pay 7.5% of a worker’s compensation for medical assistance health insurance coverage. Additionally, workers who make more than $75,000 annually, would pay 100% of the average cost for medical assistance coverage.
“Only 35% of Pennsylvanians with disabilities are working, and only 21% are working full time,” Klunk noted. “We should be encouraging more individuals with disabilities to work and accept their hard-earned promotion or raise without the fear of losing the benefits they need to live.”
House Bill 2202 goes to the full House for consideration.
Representative Kate A. Klunk
169th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
717.260.6374
ggross@pahousegop.com
RepKlunk.com /
Facebook.com/RepKlunk