Republican proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act would impact thousands
Hartford CT (March 7, 2017) – Today Pat Baker, President & CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation, issued the following statement in response to House Republicans’ legislative proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
“Yesterday the House Republicans in Congress released their plan for the repeal of and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Their plan puts the healthcare coverage of the people of Connecticut at risk.
As written, this plan proposes to eliminate the subsidy offered by the exchange and replace it with a tax credit determined by age. Of the 110,000-people covered by Access Health CT, Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, 80% receive a subsidy to make their coverage affordable. The proposal would also raise premiums by 30% paid by those with pre-existing conditions if they lose coverage for more than 63 days – including in the event of the loss of employment.
The bill also proposes big changes to the Medicaid program, eliminating Medicaid expansion over time, a reform which brought over 200,000 people in Connecticut into the program’s safety net. By changing the way Medicaid is funded, the Republican proposal would also reduce Medicaid funding in Connecticut, forcing the state to consider programmatic reductions including coverage for the state’s most vulnerable including people with disabilities, children and seniors. Currently, 750,000 people in the state are covered by Medicaid, and 70% of those residing in nursing homes in Connecticut are paid for by Medicaid.
This replacement bill will impact the healthcare coverage of residents in every town across the state by making it more expensive and potentially less accessible. Preserving the coverage gains and health reforms initiated under the ACA is critical to providing access to quality, affordable health care — vital to the health of all Connecticut residents.”
About the Connecticut Health Foundation
The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) is the state’s largest independent health philanthropy dedicated to improving lives by changing health systems. Since it was established in 1999, the foundation has supported innovative grantmaking, public policy research technical assistance and convening to achieve its mission – to improve the health of the people of Connecticut. Over the past 17 years, CT Health has awarded grants totaling more than $59 million in 45 cities and towns throughout the state.
In 2013, CT Health announced a five-year strategic plan that made expanding health equity the foundation’s central focus. For CT Health, health equity means helping more people gain access to better care, especially people of color and underserved populations. Better care includes physical, mental, and oral health. For more information about the foundation, please visit www.cthealth.org or 860.724.1580.
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