Health Care

“The Centers for Disease Control tells us that in 2014, 27,000 Americans suffered accidental overdose deaths across the country - a drastic increase from 2013,” said Courtney. “And this trend is happening again all across the country. In the state of Connecticut, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported its statistics for 2015, which showed that 723 individuals lost their lives. So we are in the midst right now of a problem that is sweeping across the country that is affecting states that are Republican and Democrat, Blue and Red, and we as a Nation need to get all hands on deck and come to grips with it."

“When Congress took action to delay the so-called ‘Cadillac Tax’ late last year, it was in recognition of the fact that a 40% excise tax on health plans was going to be an unfair burden on businesses and workers if it was ever implemented,” said Courtney. “While I have always been a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act, I continue to believe that the Cadillac Tax was ill-conceived when it was first added to the law – and the case against it has only grown stronger with time."

“Passage of a two year delay to 2020 of the 40% excise tax on health plans represents significant progress in the effort to protect middle-class health benefits,” said Courtney. “Along with many supporters of the Affordable Care Act, I warned in 2010 that the tax was ill-conceived when it was inserted in the legislation at the end, and eventually striking it from the books would only strengthen healthcare reform. The extraordinary collation of groups such as the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, the American Benefits Council, and organized labor did an outstanding job of educating Congress on the exploding cost shift to patients that the excise tax would cause, creating new barriers to affordable healthcare. With the delay in place, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress, the Administration, and those outside experts in the future to get this over the finish line.”

"The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network weighing in to support repeal of the 'Cadillac tax' demonstrates that at the end of the day, this will be a reform that goes to the heart of the Affordable Care Act's admirable goals: expanding access to critical, lifesaving care. ACS CAN recognizes that the 'Cadillac tax,' if applied as directed through regulations, will raise barriers that would deprive patients of needed cancer screenings, diagnostic tests, and lifesaving treatment. We must repeal this onerous tax before it diminishes the progress we have made since enactment of the ACA," said Courtney.