Health Care
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) unveiled new legislation that would repeal the excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans scheduled to go into effect in 2018. Also known as the “Cadillac tax,” the policy would apply a 40 percent tax on health insurance expenditures over $10,200 per person and $27,500 per family. The excise tax was established in a later version of the Affordable Care Act, but its scheduled implementation was delayed five years by an effort led by Courtney with 191 House colleagues in 2010.
WASHINGTON—Congressmen Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Chris Collins (NY-27) today issued the following statements after introducing the bipartisan Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act.
WASHINGTON—Today, the House passed H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015—a bill which Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) co-sponsored—to enact a permanent ‘doc fix' that provides predictable reimbursement rates from Medicare to providers, and repeals the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula adopted in 1997. Courtney released the following statement after the bill passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 392 to 37:
Bipartisan Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act would restore coverage rules for skilled nursing care
Vernon, CT—Today, at Vernon Manor Health Care and Rehabilitation, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) announced the reintroduction of his bipartisan bill to restore Medicare coverage of follow-on skilled nursing care for seniors who have a three or more day stay in the hospital.
WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday evening, Congressman Joe Courtney donated blood at the Red Cross donation center in Norwich (photo attached). As news of Ebola causes anxiety for U.S. residents, donating blood and getting vaccinated against the flu will help local health systems better prepare for emergencies of all kinds. Courtney has scheduled his flu shot for Monday in Vernon.
"Donating blood is one of the most basic and effective ways that Connecticut citizens can contribute to the readiness of our local hospitals for a range of emergencies,” said Courtney.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (CT-2) issued a reminder to Medicare beneficiaries in eastern Connecticut that open enrollment begins today and extends through December 7, 2014. Medicare open enrollment is the period when beneficiaries can change their health plan and prescription drug coverage for 2015. If an enrollee's current plan meets the enrollee's health care needs in 2015, the enrollee will not do not need to do anything additional.
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) announced that Medicare beneficiaries will not see any increase in premium costs for Medicare Part B in 2015. Despite claims that Part B premiums would rise significantly for seniors, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmed the standard premium for 2015 will be $104.90—the same as in 2013 and 2014.
Norwich, CT—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney released the following statement after the Connecticut Insurance Department announced that Anthem’s requested rate increases of an average 12.5 percent on individual plans for 2015 was denied. Instead of the requested increase, consumers with individual Anthem plans will see an average decrease of 0.1 percent in their premium costs.