2014 PA. state budget faces $1.4 billion jump in expenses and reduced federal Medicaid & tobacco $

[JPZenger]

http://www.pottsmerc.com/government-and-politics/20131117/election-year-pa-budget-could-be-bad-for-politics

Excerpt:

"If nothing improves, Corbett and the Legislature will have to navigate an estimated $1.4 billion in higher costs, an unexpected half-billion-dollar hole in health care dollars and the traditional resistance to cutting spending in an election year.

“I think, in many respects, this coming budget is going to be the most difficult budget in four years and I never thought I would be saying that,” Corbett’s budget secretary, Charles Zogby, said.

[Pat Riot]

1. You never thought a lot of things, buster.

How is the half billion in health care "unexpected" when they knew all about turning down the free money Medicaid expansion would have brought.

[JPZenger]

2. I believe that particular federal cut is because of an updated federal formula in distributing $

I wouldn't be surprised if the "cut" in federal health care funding results from the Corbettites making it so hard for eligible people to sign up and to keep their benefits. They have reduced participation rates in many federal programs through increased paperwork requirements. Fewer people receiving benefits means less federal dollars.