Elizabeth Stelle

Director of Policy Analysis

Elizabeth Stelle is the Director of Policy Analysis at the Commonwealth Foundation.

Elizabeth has researched and written on government reform, health care, welfare, energy, and government transparency. Her work has been featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, Philadelphia Inquirer, and a variety of radio and television programs throughout the commonwealth. Elizabeth is a graduate of Grove City College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history.

A native of Ohio, Elizabeth makes her home in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and four children. She enjoys swimming, traveling to historic landmarks and exploring the moral foundations of capitalism.

Health Care

Five Facts about Obamacare Enrollment

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 14, 2014

On Monday the administration released the latest numbers on Obamacare exchange enrollments. Here are five key facts you need to know: Young Adults are Underrepresented: Young adults (age 18-34)…

Media

Read More: Five Facts about Obamacare Enrollment

Health Care

How Government Unions Support Obamacare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 14, 2014

Government unions such as the NEA and SEIU lobbied for passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will raise the cost of health care through various mandates…

Media

Read More: How Government Unions Support Obamacare

Taxes & Economy

The True Cost of Minimum Wage

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 9, 2014

If a higher minimum wage benefits workers, why not push it to $20 or $30 or even higher? Because experience shows minimum wage increases actually hurt the very workers they…

Commentary

Read More: The True Cost of Minimum Wage

Welfare

War on Poverty: 50 Years of Failing People

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 8, 2014

On January 8, 1964, Lyndon Johnson launched America’s “War on Poverty.” After 50 years, it’s clear poverty is winning. After five decades and more than $20 trillion in taxpayer…

Media

Read More: War on Poverty: 50 Years of Failing People

Public Union Democracy

Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation Campagin

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 6, 2014

“Save the PA Lottery,” “Seniors pay the price,” and “Corbett’s secretive scheme” are just a few examples of how government union bosses employed scare tactics to conduct a massive misinformation…

Media

Read More: Government Unions’ Lottery Misinformation Campagin

Taxes & Economy

More Than Their Fair Share

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 17, 2013

A fair and sound tax policy requires that people or businesses pay for the government they use, including the cost of extracting natural gas.  Yet despite the passage of a…

Media

Read More: More Than Their Fair Share

Health Care

“Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 13, 2013

Last Friday, Gov. Corbett released full details of his Healthy PA initiative, which seeks to expand government-funded health insurance under Obamacare (using Medicaid expansion funds to pay private insurance…

Media

Read More: “Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?

Public Union Democracy

Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 4, 2013

“They are going to take away your pension!” is a common scare tactic used by Pennsylvania government union leaders to oppose pension reform (even though private school unions have…

Media

Read More: Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions

Welfare

Protect the Poor, Not Lotto Winners

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 20, 2013

Jamie Frankford won $330,000 in the Pennsylvania lottery in 2012, yet continued to collect child care subsidies and Medicaid benefits. Her story, reported by Chris Papst at CBS21, caught…

Media

Read More: Protect the Poor, Not Lotto Winners

Health Care

Obamacare: Exchange Sign-ups Dwarfed by Cancellations

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 14, 2013

Yesterday, the federal government revealed that shockingly low numbers of Americans are purchasing health insurance on the dysfunctional Obamacare exchange. In Pennsylvania, it’s clear the law is doing more…

Media

Read More: Obamacare: Exchange Sign-ups Dwarfed by Cancellations

Health Care

A Sign of Things to Come?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 13, 2013

Cancelled health care plans, an unusable exchange website—do we still trust the federal government to deliver on its health care promises? In what could be a sign of what’s to…

Media

Read More: A Sign of Things to Come?

Health Care

ObamaCare: Sub-Standard is the New Standard

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 7, 2013

“Junk policies,” “sub-standard plans,” “policies not worth keeping” and “bad apple insurance companies” are just a few of the terms used by the President and advocates of the ACA to…

Media

Read More: ObamaCare: Sub-Standard is the New Standard

Health Care

“Free” Medicaid Money Equals More Debt

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • October 31, 2013

In trying to persuade states to expand Medicaid, Obamacare advocates are using enough scare tactics to fill a haunted house. From threatening to discontinue Gross Receipt taxes to…

Media

Read More: “Free” Medicaid Money Equals More Debt

Public Union Democracy

Unions Fight to Block $40 Million in Taxpayer Savings

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 18, 2013

Pennsylvania legislative leaders continue discussions over increasing transportation funding. In return for higher spending, some negotiators are seeking modest, common sense reforms to the prevailing wage law. These reforms would…

Media

Read More: Unions Fight to Block $40 Million in Taxpayer Savings

Health Care

Obamacare Glitches or Meaningful Refom

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 10, 2013

The federal Obamacare exchanges opened for business more than a week ago, yet users have been unable to log in (much less get affordable insurance) and hit with…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Glitches or Meaningful Refom

Health Care

Many Pennsylvanians to See Insurance Premiums Skyrocket

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 3, 2013

Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges are off to a rough start this week. Millions were welcomed with error screens as they attempted to figure out if their health care costs would rise. Fox…

Media

Read More: Many Pennsylvanians to See Insurance Premiums Skyrocket

Health Care

Obamacare Victims Mount

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 30, 2013

By now we’ve all heard the stories of businesses laying off employees or cutting benefits to avoid the huge penalties and fines that will be levied under Obamacare in 2014…

Media

Read More: Obamacare Victims Mount

Health Care

Young and Old Will Face Premium Spikes Next Year

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 25, 2013

With only six days to go before the Obamacare health exchanges are scheduled to open, the federal government finally released some price data for the federal exchanges. Even though…

Media

Read More: Young and Old Will Face Premium Spikes Next Year

Health Care

Healthy PA Can’t Cure Obamacare Disease

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • September 16, 2013

Gov. Corbett today unveiled a “Healthy PA” plan, calling for reforms to Medicaid while also accepting federal “Medicaid expansion” funds to buy insurance for 500,000 or more individuals on the…

Media

Read More: Healthy PA Can’t Cure Obamacare Disease

Health Care

Losing the War on Poverty

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 5, 2013

Bad welfare policy is robbing Pennsylvanians of a better life. Last month, the Cato Institute’s Welfare vs. Work Tradeoff study revealed Pennsylvanians can make more money collecting welfare than…

Media

Read More: Losing the War on Poverty

Health Care

Mailbag: Burdens of Obamacare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 3, 2013

Below are few of the most common questions I’ve received in response to my Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed on the failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help low-income…

Media

Read More: Mailbag: Burdens of Obamacare