Elizabeth Stelle
Director of Policy Analysis
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
Contain Medicaid Fire, Turn Hose on Pension Crisis
Last night’s presidential debate (despite the focus on foreign policy) featured much talk on skyrocketing debt and unsustainable entitlement programs. Protecting the middle class from growing debt isn’t a problem…
Media
Read More: Contain Medicaid Fire, Turn Hose on Pension CrisisHealth Care
Medicaid Expansion Bad Deal for Patients
Health care interest groups took to the press in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg to argue for expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania, but these advocates overlook the program’s flaws and its long-term…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Expansion Bad Deal for PatientsHealth Care
Saylor Broaches Biggest Budget Buster
Pensions and transportation top the list of crises the General Assembly won’t address in their short fall session, but little has been said about the biggest budget buster facing the…
Media
Read More: Saylor Broaches Biggest Budget BusterHealth Care
How Much Will Obama’s Health Care Cost You?
How much will the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) cost you? Our new policy points look at the cost Pennsylvanians will shoulder under the sweeping health care reform law.
Media
Read More: How Much Will Obama’s Health Care Cost You?Health Care
Pennsylvania Medicaid Spending and the Affordable Care Act
Current Medicaid spending trends are unsustainable. Medicaid spending (Medical Assistance and Long Term Care) consumes about 30 percent of Pennsylvania's total state operating budget. In the past decade, Medicaid spending…
Memo
Read More: Pennsylvania Medicaid Spending and the Affordable Care ActHealth Care
Medicaid Reform Saves Families
Laureny Sanchez is a widowed mother of four, including 14-year-old twin Alan, who suffers from a tumor on his pituitary gland, heart problems and other medical issues. Under regular Medicaid,…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Reform Saves FamiliesWelfare
Corbett Rejects Ruinous Welfare Reverse-Reform
Gov. Tom Corbett has rejected the Obama administration’s waiver to water down welfare work requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. In a letter to the…
Media
Read More: Corbett Rejects Ruinous Welfare Reverse-ReformHealth Care
Medicaid Myth #3: Ryan Plan Kicks Folks Off Of Medicaid
This concludes our blog series on the myths of the Ryan Medicaid plan. Wednesday‘s blog showed why Ryan’s plan would preserve rather than gut Medicaid and yesterday‘s post…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Myth #3: Ryan Plan Kicks Folks Off Of MedicaidHealth Care
Medicaid Myth #2: Medicaid Expansion Helps Poor
Yesterday, we began a series on the many myths surrounding Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan’s plan to reform Medicaid. We started with the myth that Ryan would gut Medicaid,…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Myth #2: Medicaid Expansion Helps PoorHealth Care
Will Paul Ryan Raid Medicaid?
The 2012 campaign continues to center on candidates and their allies calling the other guys “extremists,” and few bear the title as often as Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan. For…
Media
Read More: Will Paul Ryan Raid Medicaid?Health Care
Fact Check: Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity and Medicaid
Far from hurting the poor, Ryan's Medicaid plan will preserve their access to health care by making the government health care program affordable and sustainable. The plan has three main…
Memo
Read More: Fact Check: Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity and MedicaidRegulation
Counties Clamor to Qualify for Flexible Funding
Thirty counties have applied for slots in the Department of Public Welfare’s Human Services County Block Grant pilot program. Unfortunately, the pilot program was limited to 20 counties. The…
Media
Read More: Counties Clamor to Qualify for Flexible FundingTaxes & Economy
Fix Welfare to Protect Poor, Save Taxpayers
Despite prevalent evidence showing the current welfare system does irreparable harm by trapping families and children in a cycle of poverty, presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to…
Commentary
Read More: Fix Welfare to Protect Poor, Save TaxpayersWelfare
Welfare Without Work Fails
The Obama administration recently relaxed welfare to work requirements, arguing it will help the truly needy. In contrast, Pennsylvania lawmakers took an opposite step by including new welfare work requirements…
Media
Read More: Welfare Without Work FailsHealth Care
Pizza, Burgers and Health Care Reform
The devastating side effects of the Affordable Care Act are multiplying every day. It’s not uncommon to hear that premiums are rising, about 7 percent next year, according to the…
Media
Read More: Pizza, Burgers and Health Care ReformHealth Care
State Officials Give Medicaid Expansion a Thumbs Down
Is expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act a good idea for states? According to state budget directors across the country, the answer is a resounding no. A recent survey conducted by…
Media
Read More: State Officials Give Medicaid Expansion a Thumbs DownWelfare
Welfare Reforms Save $173 Million
Tucked away in the blizzard of budget bills at the end of June were some significant welfare reforms that not only save money, but empower the poor. Reforms in the…
Media
Read More: Welfare Reforms Save $173 MillionState Budget
Pennsylvania Welfare Changes will Save an Estimated $173 Million
Act 80 of 2012 amends the Pennsylvania Welfare Code to include several reforms to Department of Public Welfare spending in the 2012-13 state budget. Act 80 will save state taxpayers…
Memo
Read More: Pennsylvania Welfare Changes will Save an Estimated $173 MillionHealth Care
Medicaid Big Threat to States
A new study by the State Budget Crisis Task Force found Medicaid is one of the six biggest threats facing states. That should be no surprise to our readers.
Media
Read More: Medicaid Big Threat to StatesWelfare
NYT Blasts Corbett, Misses Facts
Recently, the New York Times ran an editorial that willfully neglected to mention the utter failure of more welfare spending to reduce poverty in Pennsylvania. The editorial was long on…
Media
Read More: NYT Blasts Corbett, Misses FactsPublic Union Democracy
Unions Bankrupt Scranton, Who’s Next?
The City of Scranton is broke. It can’t pay its employees and faces a budget deficit of about $16 million this year, thanks to a toxic combination of declining…
Media
Read More: Unions Bankrupt Scranton, Who’s Next?