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Corbett's Plan To Charge For Medicaid Gets Sporting Protest

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Governor Corbett's conditions for expanding Medicaid were the target of an unusual protest at Sunday's Eagles game.

Along with commercial banners being pulled by a plane over the stadium, was one proclaiming "Governor Corbett likes the Cowboys...but hates Pennsylvania families."

"We don't know for a fact that he loves the Cowboys, says Michael Morrill with Keystone Progress, "but we do know for a fact that his plans are really harmful to Pennsylvania families."

Morrill says Keystone Progress was looking for a humorous way to protest the governor's plan to charge for Medicaid.

"The whole reason for being on Medicaid as opposed to other kinds of insurance is that you can't afford to pay premiums."

Along with the banner, Morrill handed out several thousand "football cards" of Corbett, portraying him as the "Quarterback for Corporate Privateers." The back of the cards said his "limitations" included "his inability to see anything but the right side of the field... resulting in repeated turnovers to corporations." photo

Morrill said the humorous approach was more effective.

"Even if they love Tom Corbett, they like it," says Morrill. "People not only take it because it looks like a football card, they keep it and read it because it's actually humorous and makes the point without just being in your face about it."

Pennsylvania is one of some 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid to achieve the universal health coverage envisioned in the Affordable Care Act.

Corbett recently agreed to the expansion, on the condition recipients pay for it, even though the federal government has agreed to cover 100 percent of the cost. Corbett says without the payments, it won't be sustainable.

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