“If this measure becomes law, it will not lower
the cost or improve the quality or availability of healthcare and healthcare
insurance,” said Rep. Sampson. “There
are only two reasons why people choose not to have health insurance; either
they cannot afford it, or they are making a conscious choice as free citizens
to go without it. Either way, the state
should not be fining them for exercising their basic rights as consumers. The
individual mandate, when in place, fined people for not purchasing health
insurance. Sadly, many who could not afford insurance simply chose to pay the
fine because it was the cheaper option, but this only added to their financial
strain. The majority party is not helping anyone with this proposal, and I will
do everything in my power to stop them from burdening our neediest residents.
Consumers have a right to decide if health insurance is right for them.”
Late last year, Congress passed a tax bill that
repealed the individual health insurance mandate put in place by the Obama
Administration. This mandate required all individuals to purchase health
insurance under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) or be subject to a
substantial fine. Many individuals who did not have the means to purchase a
plan through the exchange opted for the penalty. Many conservative legislators
at all levels of government, including Rep. Sampson, fought vigorously to
repeal the mandate arguing that individuals had a right to decide if health
insurance was right for them.
Majority Democrats are now pushing to bring the
individual mandate back to Connecticut
following Governor Malloy’s call for one during his State-of-the-State address
last week. The issue has been taken up in the Insurance and Real Estate
Committee where Rep. Sampson has vowed to defeat the measure. During the
meeting this morning, he called for a roll call vote to stop the bill from
progressing, but was defeated on party lines after the Chair allowed the votes
to be held open for six additional hours to allow Democrats not present at the
meeting to be called in to cast their votes. If the bill passes, the next step
will be a public hearing.
“I think Governor Malloy is attempting to divert
the public’s attention from our growing budget deficit by pushing his
progressive agenda,” added Rep. Sampson. “There is a time and place
for these discussions, but right now, we are facing an unprecedented fiscal
crisis that has sent our biggest employers fleeing for greener pastures. I
would think most residents would be far more concerned about that rather than
the political games of an outgoing governor with a poor track record for
economic growth.”
The Connecticut General Assembly convened on
February 7th, 2018 for a short three-month session that ends on May
9th. The short sessions, held during the even years, are intended to
address fiscal issues stemming from the biennial state budget passed during the
odd years.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Authors of comments and posts are solely responsible for their statements. Please email MiddletownInsider@gmail.com for questions or concerns. This blog, (and any site using the blogger platform), does not and cannot track the source of comments. While opinions and criticism are fine, they are subject to moderator discretion; slander and vile attacks of individuals will not to be tolerated. Middletown Insider retains the right to deny any post or comment without explanation.