The Senate Republican version of the federal healthcare legislation could threaten healthcare coverage for tens-of-thousands of Connecticut residents, raise health care premiums and cost the state as much as $2.9 billion per year, according to the governor’s office.
Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman released a statement saying the findings are from a new analysis of the impact on Connecticut of the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which would be fully implemented in 2026.
“Plain and simple—the Senate Republican version of Trumpcare is a greater disaster for the people of Connecticut than the version passed by House Republicans. It is appalling and needs to be stopped in its tracks,” Malloy said in a statement. “This bill has the potential to result in a devastating cost shift of nearly $3 billion to Connecticut and could eliminate access to health care for tens-of-thousands of our residents, needlessly putting their lives at risk. Particularly for some of our most vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, premiums and costs will increase, making coverage unaffordable. If enacted, Trumpcare will jeopardize the coverage people already have, drive up costs, and severely limit care. I urge the Senate to reject this disastrous bill.”
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The Office of Policy and Management conducted the analysis and found that the Senate Republican proposal threatens coverage for seniors and low-income families, among others, according to the governor’s office.
This is the expected impact the proposal will have on Connecticut, according to the governor’s office.
The anticipated funding reduction by 2026 in the proposed bill is equivalent to 80,000 to 230,000 fewer Connecticut residents being served under Medicaid.
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The elimination of the individual and employer mandate are anticipated to increase premiums by an estimated 10 to 15 percent.
The repeal of the Cost Sharing Reduction Program has the potential to increase premiums by an additional 20 percent.
Changes to eligibility for premium subsidies could impact nearly 6,500 current Access Health CT enrollees who will no longer qualify.
“This analysis adds a fiscal impact to the real life stories of thousands of Connecticut individuals who packed public hearings, flooded phone lines and protested in the streets against this reprehensible plan,” U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. “Make no mistake, this is a wealth care plan, not a healthcare plan – a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans paid for with the lives and livelihoods of everyone else. I will be doing everything in my power to ensure defeat of this grotesquely cruel and costly plan.”
“The Senate health care bill will be a disaster for Connecticut,” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said in a statement. “It’ll cost the state nearly $3 billion a year by 2026. It charges seniors more and threatens to kick more than 200,000 Connecticut residents off of Medicaid, all to fund a giant tax cut for the wealthy. It will force families in Connecticut to choose between paying their medical bills and their mortgage. Bottom line, people will suffer. We have to stop this bill. Call your friends, go online and tell everyone you know about what this bill will do.”
