Legal News

Corbett, lawmakers sued over ending adultBasic

By (Click The Law)

Gov. Tom Corbett and the Pennsylvania General Assembly are being sued for allowing the adultBasic health insurance program for low-income adults to expire.

Three former adultBasic members in the Pittsburgh area filed a class-action lawsuit in Commonwealth Court Monday. The suit claims the state is violating the 2001 Tobacco Settlement Act by diverting funds set aside for the adultBasic program to other uses.

"We believe it's in violation of the Pennsylvania constitution as well as the statute,? said Bill Caroselli, the plaintiff?s lawyer. ?There is no ability on behalf of either the Legislature or the executive branch to defund this program."

According to Caroselli, the law mandates that 30 percent of the settlement money Pennsylvania gets should go to adultBasic and Medicaid for workers with disabilities. The tobacco fund money has been used for other programs for years as money from private insurers funded adultBasic.

The suit asks for a portion of the $370 million in tobacco settlement funds coming to the state next month to be frozen until there is a decision on the case.

Full post as published by Click the Law on March 16, 2011 (boomark / email).