MERIDEN, CT -- Yesterday, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals released a 2-1 decision that threatens the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“This appalling court decision puts the health care of hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents at risk,” said Frances G. Padilla, president of Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. “Our country’s leaders should work to expand access to quality, affordable health care for everyone, rather than take it away.”
The decision threatens the affordability of and access to coverage for anyone under age 65 living with a pre-existing health condition. Close to $2 billion of federal funding for Access Health CT subsidies are at risk, affecting approximately 75,000 state residents. And almost 300,000 state residents stand to lose their Medicaid coverage. If the ruling is upheld, parents will no longer be able to cover their children under age 26 through their employer plan and the closing of the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” will be rolled back.
"We will not stand by and watch this judicial train wreck. Connecticut residents must demand that no retreat from the ACA is acceptable without replacement of the coverage and protections they rely on,” said Padilla. "We urge Connecticut's congressional delegation, Attorney General William Tong and Governor Ned Lamont to do everything in their power to see that that the harm caused by this court decision does not stand.”
Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut’s mission is to serve as a catalyst that engages residents and communities in shaping a democratic health system that provides universal access to quality, affordable health care and promotes health in Connecticut. We believe that health care is a fundamental right and that our work is part of a broader movement for social and economic justice.
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Contact:
Frances Padilla
Presiedent
Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
203-668-1063
fpadilla@universalhealthct.org
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