The U.S. Senate gave consumers – along with doctors, hospitals, and Connecticut’s health insurers — a win by approving bipartisan legislation that would require “direct-to-consumer” advertising to include the price of the medications, which are among the costliest on the market.
HHS
Posted inHealth
CT Insurance Dept. mulling expansion of ‘short-term’ plans
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration on Wednesday issued final rules that would allow states like Connecticut to allow the sale of cheaper, skimpier health care plans that were originally intended for short-term use but now be available for 364 days, or nearly 12 months at a time. Now, it’s up to state officials to allow the sale of these short-term plans, which do not have to cover pre-existing conditions.
Posted inHealth
CT AG slams Trump administration’s proposal to change Title X
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and 12 other attorneys general claim that proposed changes to Title X — the only federal program specifically dedicated to supporting the delivery of family planning care — are unconstitutional and would limit care options for women.
Posted inJustice, Politics
CT senators say Trump administration blocked visit with immigrant kids
Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy say they were prevented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from touring a facility in Groton on Friday that houses immigrant children. “This denial of access to a facility in our own state is outrageous, and we will keep doing everything we can to support Noank and to reunite these kids with their families,” the senators said.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal, Murphy sour on Trump HHS pick
WASHINGTON — Like his predecessor, the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services, has sparked controversy and sharp criticism from Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Murphy demands answers from Price on anti-Obamacare videos
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy and two of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate, are questioning whether Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price misused taxpayer money through advertising and public relations efforts aimed at undermining the Affordable Care Act.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal says EpiPen maker gouged CT, wants the money back
Washington – A year after it was embroiled in scandal for jacking up the price of EpiPen injectors of a life saving anti-allergy medicine, the company that makes them is accused of overcharging state and federal governments, too, by $1.27 billion. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants some of that money returned to Connecticut
Posted inHealth, Politics
GOP gives House members proposal to repeal, replace the ACA
WASHINGTON — The proposal, which will be considered later this month in a series of hearings, includes replacement of the law’s subsidies that help people buy insurance with tax credits based on a person’s age, not income, and elimination of federally mandated basic benefits in an insurance plan.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT Democrats blast Trump’s pick of Price to head HHS
WASHINGTON — Connecticut Democrats on Tuesday sharply criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Tom Price, the architect of the House GOP’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT Dems take stand on opioid funding – and lose
WASHINGTON — Despite protests and high drama over the level of money the federal government will spend fighting heroin addiction and prescription pain pill abuse, Democrats lost their battle this week to increase federal funds by nearly $1 billion to pay for additional treatment for addicts.
Posted inNews
Washington Watch, Week of May 4
Connecticut’s defense industry will be watching as the House Armed Services Committee (Rep. Joe Courtney) releases the National Defense Authorization Act — and funding for all weapons systems for the year.
Posted inPolitics
Gun control activists shift tactics
Washington – With Congress opposed to even the most modest efforts at gun control, activist are hoping a sympathetic White House will make gun ownership a public safety issue and pour money into public information campaigns and gun research.