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February 22, 2023

Governor Lamont Proposes Legislation To Reduce Health Care Costs

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02/21/2023

Governor Lamont Proposes Laws To Lower Overall health Treatment Expenses

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont right now held a news conference in New Britain to announced that he has submitted multi-pronged legislative proposals to the Normal Assembly that emphasis on lessening health care prices for Connecticut residents, with a particular emphasis on maximizing level of competition, doing away with avoidable prices, decreasing mounting selling prices, and increasing affordability for inhabitants and businesses.

The laws is House Bill 6669, An Act Safeguarding Clients and Prohibiting Needless Overall health Treatment Costs, and Senate Monthly bill 983, An Act Restricting Anticompetitive Health and fitness Care Procedures.

“Gallup not long ago documented that document-large numbers of Us citizens are putting off treatment because of to expenditures,” Governor Lamont claimed. “Approximately 38{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of Us residents put off treatment in 2022, the best share Gallup has at any time witnessed in its 22 several years of polling. Two-thirds of personal bankruptcies are linked to medical debt, the most prevalent cause of individual bankruptcy, and health care is consuming a greater and larger sized share of GDP, now extra than 18{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. We basically can no for a longer time afford not to get action. These payments I’m proposing tackle this advanced dilemma from several angles, and I am contacting on all parties – insurers, hospitals, medical professionals, businesses, and individuals – to sign up for with me in working on alternatives for the people of Connecticut.”

“Access to reasonably priced and quality health and fitness treatment is one of most crucial difficulties experiencing Connecticut families and organizations at a time when charges are rising and insurance coverage addresses fewer than it utilised to,” Comptroller Sean Scanlon said. “The struggle for much better overall health care for the folks of this condition is a single of my most important priorities as comptroller, and I’m very pleased to be working with Governor Lamont to move a ‘patients first’ overall health care reform agenda that will decreased charges and guarantee absolutely everyone has access to the treatment they deserve.”

“While our state’s health and fitness care system is superior in quality and ranks amongst the ideal nationwide, the increasing prices keep on being a barrier for considerably also quite a few folks and benefits in quite a few folks placing off treatment due to the fact they just cannot manage it,” Dr. Deidre Gifford, executive director of the Connecticut Place of work of Wellbeing Tactic, mentioned. “It is distinct that medical center inpatient, medical center outpatient, and retail pharmacy expenditures are the biggest contributors to the well being care affordability difficulty. Wellness procedure consolidation and lack of levels of competition is also contributing. These multi-pronged proposals tackle significant expense drivers in these spots and extend on our continuing initiatives to contain medical costs.”

“The price of overall health treatment is a problem for approximately anyone in the point out, but it is specifically acute for men and women of colour,” Tiffany Donelson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Wellness Basis and member of the Office of Wellness Strategy’s Healthcare Benchmark Initiative Steering Committee, reported. “Data from the Connecticut Health care Affordability Index display that folks of color are specifically possible to have overall health treatment charges that are unaffordable – that is, their overall health treatment expenses are much too significant to meet other primary desires devoid of heading into credit card debt. The outcomes of unaffordable wellness treatment are crystal clear and troubling: people skipping treatment, avoiding treatment, and residence budgets stretched to the breaking issue to spend off health-related financial debt. We are not able to reach overall health fairness unless of course well being treatment is very affordable. The will cause of superior health treatment costs are intricate, but the need is straightforward – we must all work collectively to assure that all people can afford to get the treatment they will need when they need to have it.”

The legislation:

Eradicates hospital facility charges billed at free of charge-standing workplaces and clinics.
Implements much better regulatory enforcement tools at the Connecticut Place of work of Overall health System to assure compliance with certification of need to have requirements and similar ailments of approval, these types of as cost controls, patient access, and in-depth reporting. This will control well being care expenses by avoiding duplicative solutions in specific locations, when making sure availability and accessibility to critical solutions in all pieces of the state.
Commits Connecticut to joining a multistate bulk paying for consortium to negotiate prescription drug discounts that all of the state’s citizens will be able to accessibility by means of a price cut card at their pharmacy.
Calls for the Connecticut Office environment of Wellness Method to per year publish a listing of prescription prescription drugs that are dealing with important cost spikes to notify shoppers and prescribers about which drug charges are likely up and by how a great deal.
Reins in aggressive advertising methods by pharmaceutical associates to guarantee prescribers get very clear and precise information about the prescription drugs they prescribe and generic alternatives. Pharmaceutical reps will be essential to entire a instruction, register with the state, and disclose suitable details about drug fees and efficacy across various races and ethnicity, if recognised.
Strengthens protections to be certain that discounted prescription prescription drugs purchased by way of the federal 340B software gain the low-money consumers and communities the software was designed to assistance.
Stops selling price gouging when patients get care from a company who is not in their network. Specially, the governor is proposing to limit out-of-community costs for inpatient and outpatient medical center providers to 100{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the Medicare price for the similar service in the same geographic spot.
Outlaws the use of anti-competitive contracting tactics that have been made use of by health and fitness systems to impede level of competition and enhance price ranges. This will present wellbeing insurers with extra bargaining electrical power to make it less complicated to negotiate cost-effective selling prices for buyers. These consist of:
- Anti-tiering clauses: Requiring a health and fitness prepare to increase a desired price tier standing to all facilities or supplier in a health process, even if selected providers do not meet value or high quality specifications for that tier.
- Anti-steering clauses: Prohibiting insurers from using incentives to steer clients to better worth vendors.
- All-or-nothing clauses: Demanding wellbeing strategies to settle for all suppliers in a health care method or none of them.
- Gag clauses: Stopping events from disclosing pertinent facts, including rate or terms of an arrangement to a third celebration.

Home Invoice 6669 has been referred to the Community Wellness Committee, and Senate Monthly bill 983 has been referred to the Insurance policies and Actual Estate Committee.

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Twitter: @GovNedLamont

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September 14, 2022

Governor Hochul Announces $10 Million in Funding for Fashion Innovation Center During New York Fashion Week

Governor Kathy Hochul right now introduced $10 million in State funding for the Trend Innovation Middle, which will promote a collaborative tactic to making use of New York Point out-made intelligent and sustainable textiles. Empire Point out Progress will spearhead the development of a consortium-led FIC, which will employ knowledge from New York Condition universities, farms, fashion marketplace leaders, and non-profit corporations. The FIC will emphasis on addressing style sector desires, utilizing New York State-manufactured crops for fiber components, and cultivating technologies that developments sustainability and innovation by wearable systems in the style and textile industries. The FIC will also involve a Sustainable Style Innovation Heart Accelerator, focused on the development of intelligent and sustainable options that clear up massive scale field complications, make environmentally friendly work opportunities, market condition-sourced textiles, and aid sustainable manner.

Governor Hochul announced the new FIC through New York Vogue 7 days, which lasts from September 7 as a result of September 14. In recognition of the sector-wide occasion, the Governor attended the Coach manner exhibit in New York Metropolis.

“As the vogue capital of the entire world, New York is the fantastic suit for reducing-edge options to make this booming field extra innovative and a lot more sustainable,” Governor Hochul reported. “The Vogue Innovation Centre will foster collaboration throughout trend, agriculture, and other industries to to reduce our environmental footprint, restrict waste and create prospect throughout New York Condition.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight claimed, “Agriculture is an critical element of New York State’s economic system and as the manner market moves to a far more sustainable future, we must capitalize on the possibility to join the agriculture and manner industries, both critical to the long term of our Point out. The new Trend Innovation Middle will make New York State a leader in selling locally produced sustainable fibers, mature work, and aid accomplish Governor Hochul’s nation-foremost climate targets.”

New York Condition Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball reported, “Regionally made textiles, and the farmers that make them, are an critical part of New York agriculture. We are energized that the Trend Innovation Center’s promotion of New York Point out farmers and companies creating fiber and textiles supports our Point out economy and community communities while focusing on environmental sustainability – a win-earn-acquire for all.”

Globally, the vogue and textile sector contributes 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year — far more than all global flights and maritime delivery blended. This is thanks to the hefty reliance on fossil fuels, decentralized offer chains, and inappropriate stop of lifetime item disposal. New technologies and material processing approaches offer the probable for much more “intelligent” and “sustainable” vogue, and New York’s farms currently make the essential raw materials, such as linen, flax, cotton, and hemp that can transformed into textiles that can be employed in these purposes on a more substantial scale.

Sustainable textiles are the potential of manner, and New York Condition is poised to direct the way in the ecologically responsible creation of these elements. Intelligent textiles are a cutting-edge industry that have apps for a great number of professions, from athletes to initial responders and medical industry experts.

Empire Point out Development’s Division of Science, Technological innovation and Innovation will difficulty a Request for Proposals to pick out the consortium, which will involve universities, firms, farmers, trend field leaders, and non-profits. The Accelerator, housed in the FIC, will supply space to early-stage organizations doing work on promising developments in the area, which are potent candidates for commercialization and can be challenged with fixing the serious problems of business associates.

The FIC will solicit, consider, and oversee projects focused on addressing field worries and options, with precedence supplied to those involving the use of New York State crops and content inputs, and cultivating technology that accelerates sustainability in the manner and textile industry. Via a competitive approach, the FIC will offer grant funding to New York State small organizations in the manner business, supplying a vital connection involving field leaders and innovation and supporting assignments that goal to enhance business sustainability.

Point out Senator Michelle Hinchey claimed, “Sustainable textiles are not only the potential of trend but the future of a burgeoning farm-to-fabric sector that small New York fiber farmers are presently foremost. With this interesting new innovation center at New York Trend 7 days and assistance for sector-making legislation, like my invoice, The New York Textile Act (S8741A), we can make New York a powerhouse producer of environmentally helpful textiles for use in every single sector wherever material is essential. Scaling up New York’s homegrown textile field is a clear homerun for our financial state and our struggle towards the local climate crisis, and I thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in building a a lot more sustainable long term.”

Assemblymember Carrie Woerner claimed, “I am so delighted to see these features of the Textile Act coming to fruition. There is so a lot probable in the fusion of creative imagination and engineering and the intersection of fiber and fashion. New York has the means for just about every element of this job including farmers, innovators, and trend infrastructure. I commend Governor Hochul’s institution of the Style Innovation Heart.”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “We have worked for some time to elevate the likely of NY developed textiles created from hemp and animal fiber. There is a real excitement about the variety of possibilities this industry can offer, alongside with a genuine need to have to deal with the a lot of difficulties they are dealing with. I would like to thank the Governor, and my colleagues for their fascination and determination to this new Middle. And especially to Assemblymember Carrie Woerner who is a solid proponent of “farm to trend” on our Assembly Agriculture Committee.”

About Empire Point out Improvement

Empire Condition Development is New York’s chief economic advancement agency. The mission of ESD is to market a vigorous and expanding financial state, stimulate the generation of new work and financial chances, maximize revenues to the Condition and its municipalities, and obtain secure and diversified neighborhood economies. By the use of financial loans, grants, tax credits and other kinds of monetary support, ESD strives to increase private company expenditure and advancement to spur work development and aid affluent communities across New York Point out. ESD is also the key administrative company overseeing the Regional Financial Enhancement Councils and the advertising and marketing of “I Like NY,” the State’s iconic tourism brand name. For more details on Regional Councils and Empire State Advancement, go to www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.

December 13, 2021

Governor Hochul Announces Major Action to Address Winter Surge and Prevent Business Disruption as COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Rise Statewide

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This a major action to address the winter surge comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise statewide to be in alignment with the CDC’s recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission. The State Health Commissioner issued a determination solidifying the requirement.

This determination is based on the State’s weekly seven-day case rate as well as increasing hospitalizations. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff. This measure is effective Dec. 13, 2021 until Jan. 15, 2022, after which the State will re-evaluate based on current conditions. The new measure brings added layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent indoors shopping, gathering, and visiting holiday-themed destinations.

“As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy. The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season. We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet,” Governor Hochul said. “I want to thank the more than 80 percent of adult New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary.”

“I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas,” Governor Hochul added.

Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 43{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and hospitalizations have increased by 29{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. While the percentage of New Yorkers fully vaccinated continues to increase—gaining 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from Thanksgiving weekend to now—the uptick is not fast enough to completely curb the spread of the virus, particularly among communities with low vaccination coverage.

The State Department of Health has produced nation-leading studies, published in the CDC’s MMWR and the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrate the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness – particularly in preventing severe disease. The Department continues to urge eligible New Yorkers of all ages to get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “Community spread requires a community-minded solution, as the Omicron variant emerges and the overwhelmingly dominant Delta variant continues to circulate. We have the tools we need to protect against the virus – and now we must ensure we use them. There are tools each individual can use, and there are actions we can take as government. Getting vaccinated protects you, and wearing a mask is how we will better protect each other. Both vaccination and mask-wearing are needed to slow this COVID-19 winter surge.”

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Local health departments are being asked to enforce these requirements.

Business/Venue Proof of Vaccination Requirement

Businesses and venues that implement a proof of vaccination requirement must ensure that anyone 12 years of age or older is fully vaccinated before entering indoors. Businesses/venues can accept Excelsior Pass, Excelsior Pass Plus, SMART Health Cards issued outside of New York State, full-course vaccination through NYC COVID Safe app, a CDC Vaccination Card, or other official immunization record.

In accordance with CDC’s definition, fully vaccinated is defined as 14 days past an individual’s last vaccination dose in their initial vaccine series (14 days past the second shot of a two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine; 14 days past the one-shot Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine). The State also accepts WHO-approved vaccines for these purposes. Parents and guardians can retrieve and store an Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus for children or minors under legal guardianship.

Vaccines for children ages 5 – 11 have only been available since November 2021. Therefore, in order to enter a business or venue that implements a proof of vaccination requirement, children ages 5 – 11 only have to show proof of having had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccines have been available for 16–17-year-olds since April 2021 and for 12—15-year-olds since May 2021. At the time of the determination, 63{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the 12 – 17 age group has been fully vaccinated in New York State.

Business/Venue Mask-Wearing Requirement

Businesses and venues that implement a mask requirement must ensure all patrons past their second birthday and medically able to tolerate a face covering wear a mask at all times while indoors outside of physical eating or drinking.

Continued Masking Requirements

Unvaccinated individuals continue to be responsible for wearing masks, in accordance with federal CDC guidance. Further, the State’s masking requirements continue to be in effect for pre-K to grade 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health care settings per CDC guidelines.

New York State and the State’s Department of Health continue to strongly recommend mask-wearing in all public indoor settings as an added layer of protection, even when not required. Children 2 – 5 who remain ineligible for vaccination must wear a proper-fitting mask.

COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are free and widely available statewide. New Yorkers can visit vaccines.gov, text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations. To schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, New Yorkers can visit the Am-I-Eligible site. New Yorkers can also contact their health care provider, county health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, or pharmacies.

New Yorkers can retrieve their Excelsior Pass or Excelsior Pass Plus here. Businesses and venues can download the Excelsior Pass Scanner app—free for any business nationwide and available in more than ten languages—here.