Mayor Joe Ganim on Monday joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz, Democratic nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, at a round-table discussion on health care at the Southwest Community Health Center in Bridgeport. Lamont and Bysiewicz also unveiled their plan calling for affordable health care for all Connecticut residents.
News release from Lamont:
They were joined at health care forums in Bridgeport and New Haven by Andy Slavitt, who helped turn around healthcare.gov and served as the acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under former President Barack Obama, where he oversaw a third of Americans’ health care and a quarter of the federal budget.
Their agenda would defend protections in the Affordable Care Act, protect patients’ rights and finances, lower the price of prescription drugs, improve the individual market, deliver value and protect care under Medicaid and the state employee health care plan, and invest in public health.
That plan stands in stark contrast to the Stefanowski-Markley ticket. Republican opponent Bob Stefanowski does not support the ACA, which he erroneously claims has not benefited a single Connecticut resident. Joe Markley–who, if elected, would break any ties in the State Senate–was one of only two votes in the Senate against guaranteeing essential Obamacare protections in Connecticut law.
Stefanowski’s “A” grade for President Trump is an “A” grade for bankrupting people with pre-existing conditions, exempting contraceptives from insurance coverage, peddling short-term plans condemned by patient organizations, filing lawsuits against the ACA, cutting billions from Medicaid and Medicare, and providing tens of billions of dollars in tax breaks for pharmaceutical companies whose profits are soaring as people in Connecticut are paying more for drugs and health coverage.
Stefanowski has a scheme to give pharmaceutical companies another gigantic tax break, but no plan to protect Connecticut from those radical Republican policies. If the next governor does not act, junk plans will saturate Connecticut’s insurance market. Women and people over 50 may be charged up to five times the premiums faced by everyone else. The open enrollment period will shrink, and everyone’s health care prices will rise.
The struggle to expand Medicaid in other states demonstrates the stark consequences governors’ choices have on people’s health and finances. Lamont and Bysiewicz understand the hardships families and small businesses are facing and have a plan to tackle those challenges head-on while reducing the state’s deficit.
“Everyone deserves access to quality health care–plain and simple. As a business owner, I knew one of the keys to my company’s success was providing my employees with the health care they and their families needed to thrive. This is ultimately a moral issue, and it speaks to who we are and what we believe as a state. That’s why we need to keep fighting for quality, affordable coverage,” Lamont said.
Connecticut was the first state to expand Medicaid under President Obama. More than 200,000 people in Connecticut received meaningful access to health care–many for the first time in their lives.
“Obamacare has protected more than 1.9 million residents with employer-sponsored insurance and nearly halved the number of uninsured people under 65. As governor and lieutenant governor, Ned and I will build on these efforts to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health insurance. Providing quality, affordable care is core to Connecticut’s values–and critical to economic growth,” Bysiewicz said.
State residents pay more for prescriptions in Connecticut than any other state but Delaware, and prices increase faster here than anywhere else. This has meant billions of dollars in unaffordable and unsustainable costs for working families, senior citizens and taxpayers.
As governor and lieutenant governor, Lamont and Bysiewicz will demand meaningful transparency from pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefit managers, harness the purchasing power of the state to drive better bargains for taxpayers while preserving patients’ access to medication, and strengthen Connecticut’s leading drug-price transparency law. Together, those measures could save Connecticut residents more than $1.3 billion and reduce the deficit by more than $81 million annually.
“Turning Connecticut around means understanding health care isn’t only a cost to our families, but also an important sector of our economy. With a growing number of world-class medical and public health schools, a billion-dollar medical device startup in Guilford, and a vibrant insurance cluster in Hartford, Connecticut is poised to be an important global innovator in health care, biotechnology and insurtech. Our plan to resolve the budget crisis, reduce taxes and redouble job growth will make Connecticut a more attractive place for the nurses, doctors and other health care providers who keep all of us healthy,” Lamont said.
Just look at the picture it looks like a hostage picture, nobody seems comfortable and it seems that Blumenthal has been the go between Lamont and Ganim, there has been NO positive chemistry between Lamont and Ganim. It seems that Mayor Ganim and Mario Testa are going to sit on their hands and not push the get out the vote in Bridgeport for Ned Lamont.
It looks like Joe and Mario are gearing up for 2019 mayoralty race and the hell with Lamont but that can turnout to hurt Bridgeport, look what happen to New Haven in 2010 election for governor
The New Haven Independent had a article by Thomas Breen | Oct 15, 2018:
State Sen. Martin Looney, reminded listeners that in 2010 Malloy trailed Republican candidate Tom Foley by 12,000 votes after votes had been tallied in 168 of Connecticut’s towns and cities. But after New Haven’s votes were counted, he said, Malloy emerged on top by a 6,000-vote margin.
“When the totals of New Haven had been added,” said, “he won by 18,000” votes in New Haven.
Malloy defeated Foley in the Elm City by almost the exact same margin in 2014, earning 23,183 New Haven votes while his Republican opponent won just 3,291.
Stop playing with people’s lives. It’s time for Medicare for everyone. Oh wait you already have Medicare for everybody. They just have to wait until they’re 65. Plan I’m sick I don’t want to suffer or die, End of plan. Or do you really want to play a game on people’s lives? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFan929BTPE
Because of President 45’s hatred of former President Obama 45 has done everything he could to destroy health care for millions of Americans by gutting most of the Affordable Care Act, that protect patients’ rights and finances, lower the price of prescription drugs with 45 Health Care that gives less health care to American citizens. It’s sad to see that some voters voted against their own personal welfare suck as health care in order to support 45 even though it’s causing to go into debt because that can’t pay for their own health care, so sad but that their cost to help 45 to make America great again.
Instead of being split into two Democratic parties in Bridgeport, now you have it sliced up in at least four. Testo holds a district leaders meeting, few leaders show, candidates from the same district are working independently of each other. As of today, only 121 absentee ballots have been returned. No sign of council members working for the future Governor. So it seems Lamont is not kissing the ring, he doesn’t have to and he knows it. I see the Senator from the 122nd district is involved, that’s good, it shows some degree of common sense. It’s pretty much a no-brainer at this point, Lamont and the Bridgeport delegation will win, hopefully, Marylin’s open working relationship with Lamont will help Bridgeport after the November election. My guess is that Joey G. will run for reelection, I’m just wondering where he gets a campaign staff to work his campaign since all the former staffers have City jobs. he would have to close the Annex or use it as a campaign headquarters. In order to build another comprehensive campaign staff, he must be prepared to make the promises that all mayors make, jobs. So, what happens to the inconsequential patronage employees? Do they go to make room for new ones? These are only a few questions to be pondered. 2019 is the year of primaries and the regular amount of ab application ballots. Oh, let’s not forget the council primaries on the horizon. I did my civic duty; while not involved in any campaign matters or candidates, I responded to at least 30 requests for ab applications. Let’s see if the TC in the 132nd district does their job. (Silly me, I’m sure they’ll get off their collective butts if they read this blog.)
Lisa, great assessment, there’s no doubt that Ganim is running for mayor again and the hell with Lamont. The district leaders are sitting on their ass because they want to get paid before they do anything because that’s what they’re used too, it’s not about their district, the City their party, no it’s about the money for them and their crew. With City layoff in the wings Joe and Mario must find a way to protect for the next campaign in 2019. Bridgeport will on the outside looking in when Lamont is sword in as governor.