January 12, 2012

STATE LEADERS GATHER IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL HEALTHCARE ACT
Join legislators from across the nation defending the constitutionality of health law

Hartford – Chairs of the legislature’s Public Health Committee State Rep. Betsy Ritter (D-Waterford/Montville) and State Senator Terry Gerratana (D-New Britain) together with Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and several other state lawmakers held a press conference in support of a U.S. Supreme Court filing defending the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The case will be heard by the high court in March.

In conjunction with the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform, hundreds of lawmakers from across the nation joined forces to announce and demonstrate their support of the Amicus Brief. The legislators’ brief argues that the Constitution gives broad power to the federal government to act in cases where a national solution is necessary. The ACA capitalizes on state innovations by setting a minimum coverage floor and giving states considerable policy flexibility.

The ACA has already provided benefits to children with pre-existing conditions, who can no longer be denied health insurance; individuals who cannot be kicked off their policies when they get sick; and young adults who can stay on their parents’ policies until age 26. More residents will save money on their health care when the law is fully implemented in 2014.

“It is time to stand strong and support the Affordable Care Act law that has brought much relief to Connecticut residents as well as American citizens across our nation,” Ritter said. “We cannot afford to lose the progress already made by giving in to political pressures that in the end will only hurt working families, small businesses and seniors. We will continue to push forward in implementing the Act so that our families can get the care they need.”

"It is essential that United States citizens be guaranteed access to healthcare, and in this country that means having health insurance. While challenges have been made, they are only causing doubt and confusion for our citizenry, long before full enactment of the law," said State Senator Gerratana. "Connecticut is working to achieve the goals of federal healthcare law and coverage for all our citizens. This is proper and should continue without delay or distraction."

“I am proud that our state is moving forward to implement the Affordable Care Act. It is making a difference in the lives of our constituents already: thousands have benefitted from the protections against insurance company abuses, lower out of pocket costs for seniors and tax credits for small employers,” Speaker Donovan said. “Health care is a national problem that no state has been able to solve alone—it requires a federal partner and a national solution. Our implementation efforts should not be derailed by baseless constitutional challenges.”

Victoria Veltri stated, "The Affordable Care Act puts consumers first, and I am proud, as the State’s Healthcare Advocate, to stand by that legislation today. Connecticut consumers benefit from reforms that go beyond the ACA’s insurance reforms to include broader healthcare reforms such as patient centered medical homes, health information technology and healthcare work force initiatives. OHA’s consumer assistance program grant under the ACA is directly responsible for putting an additional $5.7 million put back into the pockets of Connecticut’s healthcare consumers and educating hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents about their healthcare rights."

The show of support for the Affordable Care Act in Connecticut was part of a larger demonstration of support for the law across the nation this week, as over 500 state legislators representing all 50 states signed on to the Amicus Brief defending the law. The brief will be filed this Friday and was prepared in conjunction with the Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform (a national group of state legislators working to advance health reform and implement the Affordable Care Act), Progressive States Network, and the Constitutional Accountability Center.

The full text of the Amicus Brief will be available at: www.progressivestates.org/ACAamicus