Middlesex Delegation Calls for Special Session

State Representatives Christie Carpino (Cromwell, Portland), Jesse MacLachlan (Clinton, Killingworth, Westbrook), and Devin Carney (Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybook, Westbrook) joined fellow House & Senate Republican lawmakers and local hospital executives in calling for a special legislative session that would be used to review the $103 million in budget cuts the governor’s office released earlier this week.

The cuts include a $63 million slash to Medicaid reimbursement funding for hospitals. According to hospital executives this cut will truly result in a $190 million loss to hospitals because the state will also forfeit federal match dollars by cutting Medicaid funding at the state level.

Carpino, Carney, and MacLachlan toured the facility this summer to see firsthand how legislative changes will impact Middlesex and have remained in close contact with representatives of the hospital.

“These cuts will be devastating to Middlesex Hospital. Middlesex provides first rate care to patients and is both a major employer and driver of the local economy,’’ said Rep. Carpino. “This penstroke on Friday afternoon by the Governor without any input from legislators will cut almost $6 million dollars from their already lean budget.”

Legislation already passed last session that added administrative hurdles to local hospitals, despite their three no votes. It is a concern that these cuts will further restrict hospital operations.

“The recent cuts announced by Gov. Malloy will inevitably have an adverse impact on our local hospitals,” said Rep. Carney. “My district is served by three hospitals – Middlesex, Yale, and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital – and all three will see a decrease in Medicaid funding at the state and federal level. These cuts may result in layoffs and a potential decline in the quality of services our most vulnerable patients depend on. I commend the governor for thinking about reducing the state’s outrageous spending, but this is not the fiscally responsible place to start.”

“Connecticut taxpayers are already overburdened,” said Rep. MacLachlan. “A $63.4 million reduction in Medicaid payments to hospitals would further exacerbate our citizens at the expense of their health and well-being, and that is a prospect that should absolutely not be on the table.”

According to Republican lawmakers, the result of these cuts would increase hospitals’ tax liability to the state by over $267 million between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016, raising their state tax burden to almost $500 million annually.