Press Releases
02/14/2018
Gov. Malloy Tours Planned Parenthood Facility, Pushes for Health Care Legislation
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today toured the Planned Parenthood Hartford North Health Center and pushed for adoption of health care legislation he introduced in his State of the State address. The proposal includes a state-level individual mandate and ensures no-cost contraceptive care for Connecticut women.
“If the Republicans who control our federal government are intent on rolling back access to quality health care and reproductive rights – and they have shown repeatedly that they are – it is our job as state leaders to stand up for our residents,” Governor Malloy said. “In addition to preserving the most important elements of the Affordable Care Act, including a state-level individual mandate, our legislation ensures that – regardless of what happens in Washington – contraceptive care will remain cost-free for Connecticut women. Access to contraception is a fundamental health care need, and we must do everything in our power to make sure it is accessible to every woman in our state, regardless of her income.”
The Governor’s proposal seeks to enshrine several key provisions of the Affordable Care Act into Connecticut state statute and reduce costs for consumers, including:
- Prohibiting cost-sharing for women’s reproductive health care, including birth control, ensuring that these vital preventative services remain in reach for all women.
- Allowing state discretion to provide funding to Planned Parenthood should federal Medicaid rules be altered to prohibit the use of Medicaid funding for the organization, eliminating any concern about the often lengthy wait for General Assembly approval.
- Keeping our residents insured and keeping health care costs down by instituting a shared responsibility fee if an individual does not carry insurance minimum essential health insurance coverage per the ACA. Not carrying insurance would result in a penalty of the greater of $500 or 2% of their income to support a new Health Care Premium Assistance Fund. The proposed individual mandate will only be in effect (1) when the federal tax credits are available to purchase health insurance on the Exchange and (2) the Health Insurance Exchange provides low option benefit design plans annually – a change in current practice. Low Option Benefit Design plans include all of the state’s essential health benefits and state mandates and are in compliance with all state and federal laws.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the repeal of the federal individual mandate will increase premiums by 10 percent and will lead to 13 million people losing their health insurance by 2027.
The Governor’s legislation on these proposals is House Bill 5039, An Act Protecting Health Care Fairness and Affordability. It has been referred to the Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate.
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