Today marks the 16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, which provided accessible, affordable health care for millions of Americans and over 150,000 Connecticut residents. However, because Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress refused to extend the ACA’s lifesaving enhanced tax credits, average premiums skyrocketed by 114% nationwide. Those cuts directly threatened to strip health care from thousands of people across Connecticut.

Governor Lamont and Connecticut Democrats took decisive action to confront the threat to Connecticut families – mitigating the damage caused by the wildly unpopular cuts. Our Federal Emergency Response Fund provided critical state support to protect our hospitals and ensure that HUSKY and Access Health CT continued providing the coverage Connecticut depends on. Because of these actions, Access Health CT saw its third straight year of record high enrollment.

As Democrats continue to work to make health care more affordable, Republican gubernatorial candidates have either stood in the way or failed to show up at all. Erin Stewart declined to weigh in on the health care cuts, even as more than 7,000 of her own constituents were in danger of losing Medicaid. Ryan Fazio voted against the emergency funding and other critical health care measures in Hartford. Betsy McCaughey has spent 16 years crusading against the Affordable Care Act and publicly defended the Medicaid cuts. 

The Lamont Administration and Connecticut Democrats also delivered a $25 insulin cap and lower prescription drug costs, protected our hospitals from private equity takeovers, and created protections against medical debt affecting consumers’ credit reports. 

“The Affordable Care Act was a landmark achievement, and Connecticut Democrats have continued building on it to make health care more affordable and accessible,” said CT Dems Chair Roberto Alves. “This is about what families are dealing with every day. We’re stepping up and fighting for real solutions to lower costs and make health care more affordable. Connecticut Republicans had the chance to be part of that work, but instead have aligned themselves with Donald Trump and a disastrous agenda that would raise costs and take us backward.”

“There is one party working to make your health care affordable and accessible in Connecticut, and that is the Democratic Party,” said CT Dems Spokesperson Ian Clarke. “Ryan Fazio and Erin Stewart won’t say it out loud, but their actions speak loud and clear. At best, they’ll stand idly by as MAGA Republicans put Connecticut families at risk; at worst, they’ll actively cheer them on. Their silence may win them an endorsement from Donald Trump, but Connecticut voters won’t stand for it.”