Matt Lesser

State Senator Lesser Joins Attorney General Tong and State Representative Scanlon to Defend Affordable Care Act

State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) stands alongside Attorney General William Tong and State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford) to denounce the Trump Administration’s latest attack on the ACA and address efforts to protect the health and lives of Connecticut families during a press conference in the Legislative Office Building on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) joined State Attorney General William Tong, State Representative Sean Scanlon, (D-Guilford), Hartford Healthcare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rocco Orlando and Allyson Platt, who has psoriatic arthritis and lupus and receives subsidized insurance through the exchange thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), to denounce the Trump Administration’s latest attack on the ACA and address efforts to protect the health and lives of Connecticut families during a press conference.

On Monday, the Trump Administration abandoned its defense of the ACA against a politically-motivated lawsuit led by Texas and 17 other states. Eliminating the ACA would have a devastating impact on Connecticut and its residents—gutting protections for pre-existing conditions, eliminating billions of dollars in federal subsidies, throwing young adults off their parents’ health insurance and imperiling access to prescription drugs for seniors. From 2011 to 2017, Connecticut received approximately $6 billion in federal funds relating to Obamacare, and more than 260,000 people have received Medicaid coverage as a result of the program’s expansion. Sen. Lesser said he will continue to be steadfast in his commitment to protect the ACA for Connecticut individuals and families.

“Striking down the ACA would create a public health catastrophe. The president’s position is immoral, indefensible and irresponsible,” said Sen. Lesser. “Across the country, 3 million children would lose their coverage – and here in Connecticut 248,000 people would lose their insurance and over 30,000 people would lose their jobs. According to the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis, it would cut almost $1.4 billion dollars in Medicaid funding for Connecticut immediately and would eliminate $450 million in subsidies for private health insurance purchased through AccessHealth. I’m a cancer survivor and someone with pre-existing conditions. I know how essential and life-saving this legislation is and why striking down the ACA would be so dangerous. I’m proud to stand with Attorney General Tong and doctors and patients against this terrible move.”

“The Trump Administration has declared war on the American health care system. Striking down the Affordable Care Act would have devastating effects on Connecticut, its residents and citizens across the country,” said Attorney General Tong. “Millions of Americans’ health and lives would be at risk. Insurers would be given the license to discriminate against the half million Connecticut residents with pre-existing conditions, and our state would lose billions of dollars in federal subsidies. Our office is standing with 20 other state attorneys general to act as the firewall for all citizens and to protect everyone’s right to affordable health care,”

“Thanks to the ACA, the uninsured rate is at an all-time low, over 500,000 Connecticut residents with pre-existing conditions don’t have to worry about being denied health insurance and every single policy has to cover Essential Health Benefits such as hospitalizations and prescription drugs,” said Rep. Scanlon. “Repealing the ACA would be a disaster for the people of Connecticut and I hope the president reconsiders this misguided decision to destroy the ACA and all the protections it has afforded people of all ages in our state and country.”