|
I joined my colleagues in the following statement concerning the possibility of health insurance premiums skyrocketing at the start of the new year:
On paper, Newington resident Alicea Charamut and her family look like the embodiment of the upper-middle class. Alicia is the executive director of a nonprofit, and her husband is a biostatistician.
The family's financial situation looks a lot different, however, given their health insurance premiums. Because Alicia's husband has a chronic illness, having high-deductible insurance or being uninsured are not options.
The family, which includes their 19-year-old daughter, currently pays $1,500 a month for health insurance through the marketplace – better known as ACA, or Obamacare. By comparison, Alicea and her husband pay $1,400 a month for their mortgage.
"We pay more for health insurance than we do to keep a roof over our head," Alicea said at a press conference on Wednesday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
Because Alicea's husband has a chronic illness, having high-deductible insurance or being uninsured are not options. (repeated from above)
The tax credits the Charamuts receive to make their health insurance affordable are set to run out, which would mean their premiums will at least double to $2,800 a month and go as high as $3,000 a month. If that happens, all discretionary spending in their household would stop.
"Our health coverage is sinking us," she said.
State Reps. Gary Turco (D-Newington) and Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford) were among the elected officials to issue a stark warning about people like the Charamuts: Access Health CT customers' health insurance could rise dramatically starting Jan. 1, if Congress doesn't act.
At the center of the issue is the expiration of federal subsidies, which have helped make health insurance more affordable for thousands of Connecticut residents. Without an extension or renewal of these subsidies, some 142,000 Access Health CT customers could face significant premium increases. About 28,000 customers will lose all federal assistance.
“I’ve heard from countless Newington residents who are deeply worried they won’t be able to afford their health insurance if these tax credits aren’t renewed — and these are hardworking, middle-class families,” Rep. Turco said. “If the federal government can afford to give more tax breaks to billionaires, it can certainly ensure that our middle-class neighbors have access to the basic necessity of affordable health care.”
"Thousands of Access Health CT customers face drastically increased premiums and the possibility of losing their health insurance as enhanced federal subsidies expire and new policy changes take effect," said Rep. Farrar. "These changes will lead to higher costs and reduced financial assistance, making coverage less affordable for many Connecticut residents already struggling to make ends meet. Our state should establish a significant emergency fund in a special session to address these federal cuts and keep health insurance affordable and accessible to all.”
State Sen. Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), whose district represents Newington, agreed.
"I’m so grateful to Alicea for sharing her family’s journey with health insurance and the outrageous price hike that is coming down the road if Congress does not extend these federal tax credits,” said Sen. Lesser. “Her story is all too familiar for families across Connecticut, and I am deeply concerned about where the Republican Federal Budget is leading us. Families across the state will be unable to afford health insurance, they will forgo potentially life-saving preventative care and with these new financial constraints, consumer spending will tank – affecting our state economy. We have to step up and protect our residents from the inaction in Washington.”
|
Call 2-1-1 or visit 
