Media Center

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Congressman Tom Latham (R-IA) today introduced legislation to fix an arbitrary Medicare policy that excludes coverage of skilled nursing care. Under current Medicare policy, a beneficiary must have an "inpatient" hospital stay of at least three days for Medicare to cover skilled nursing care. Patients who receive hospital care on "observation status" do not qualify for this benefit, even if their hospital stay lasts longer than three days.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today announced that the Willimantic Fire Department and Montville Volunteer Fire Company have secured $82,809 and $99,750, respectively, in federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. The grants will be used to enhance operations and safety at each department.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the 1099 reporting requirement from the Affordable Care Act.

“Today the Senate followed the House of Representatives and voted to repeal the potentially-burdensome 1099 reporting requirement before it affected a single business. This requirement originated in the Senate’s version of the health care reform bill, and it is appropriate that it died there as well.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today urged Connecticut employers to take advantage of the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP), which will not accept new applications after April 30. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ERRP has provided more than 1,300 employers across all 50 States with nearly $1.8 billion in reimbursements for health benefits, as authorized by the Affordable Care Act. In Connecticut alone, close to $20 million in reimbursements have been paid.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today announced that the Sterling Fire Department and Town of Mansfield Division of Fire and Emergency Services have secured $52,212 and $45,957, respectively, in federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. The grants will be used to enhance operations and safety at each department.

WASHINGTON, DC – At a press conference today, Congressman Joe Courtney announced that he will lead an economic trade mission to the United Kingdom. The mission, which was launched at BNL Industries in Vernon, will lead fifteen Connecticut companies to the U.K. on April 18, 2011.