Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman issued the following statements regarding the announcement that U.S. Representative Tom Price has been selected by President-Elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“The selection of U.S. Representative Tom Price as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services is extremely troubling, to say the least. President-Elect Trump claims that he intends to preserve the cornerstones of the Affordable Care Act, however, the nomination of Rep. Price – who has been one of the staunchest adversaries since its passage – suggests otherwise. Rep. Price’s record demonstrates a clear intention to dismantle the very healthcare reform law that has benefitted hundreds of thousands of people in Connecticut and millions across the nation,” said Governor Malloy. “Further, his outspoken views against reproductive justice and his efforts to block federal funds to Planned Parenthood are of great concern and threaten to turn back the clock on decades of progress in women’s healthcare – especially access to preventive care and birth control currently guaranteed under Affordable Care Act.”
“Congressman Price has made his opposition to the Affordable Care Act clear; I stand with Democrats and Republicans from across the nation who supported the expansion of Medicaid coverage and the reform of Medicare, increased equity in healthcare outcomes and improved access to care,” said Lt. Governor Wyman. “In Connecticut, as in other states, the benefits of the ACA are clear. It has insured hundreds of thousands and reduced our uninsured rate to below 4 percent, among the lowest in the nation. It has closed the Medicare prescription donut hole facing seniors, slowed the growth of healthcare costs, eliminated barriers to coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions, and has provided the resources to address cost-containment – complex work that requires insurers, providers, and other stakeholders to understand and unwind cost drivers without compromising quality of care. The ACA is a critical starting point and I urge Congressman Price to join us in improving this law. We must continue the gains that have been made for millions of residents and our nation's economy.”
Connecticut has led the way in successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act, beginning with the nation’s first expansion of Medicaid to cover low-income adults without minor children in 2010. Today, our health insurance exchange enrolls over 100,000 residents in private qualified health plans, and our Medicaid program enrolls over 750,000, including 205,000 in expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Over the last eight years, the State of Connecticut has seen a 50 percent reduction in the number of teen pregnancies in our urban centers. This tremendous accomplishment was the result of work by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and community partners, like Planned Parenthood, who have instituted educational programs and provided access to reproductive health services, paid for in large part by grants from the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Disease Control, that are directed to proven programs that work.