Month: March 2024

“We call on you to use all powers at your disposal to hold UHG responsible for this significant breach and guarantee the company offers accessible, robust financial assistance and frequent, transparent communication.”

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Following a massive cyberattack on Change Healthcare, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support impacted care providers, and to hold the company accountable for the breach and ensure it provides necessary relief to those affected. In February, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UHG) and the largest health care payment system in the country, experienced a cyberattack that has had an immense impact on the care delivery and operations of hospitals, physician practices, and other medical providers, including those in Connecticut, with some starting to lay off staff and others resorting to paper records and manual communications to continue patient care.

“We are encouraged by the steps the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has already taken to address these financial concerns and provide greater administrative flexibility and encourage you to continue working with providers to safeguard patients and protect the financial solvency of impacted health care providers,” wrote the Members of Congress to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is critical that Medicare advance payment requests for hospitals, physician practices, and other providers are expeditiously reviewed and that all payers, including private insurers, provide advance payments while billing issues are resolved and offer flexibility regarding procedural requirements, such as filing requirements for claims, timelines for appeals, and other policies that providers are unable to adhere to because of the current situation.”

The Connecticut delegation stressed the need for HHS to hold UHG accountable for the breach and to ensure the company provides adequate support for impacted providers.

“We are deeply concerned that UHG’s much touted Temporary Financial Assistance Program for providers is woefully inadequate and that other private payers are imposing stringent requirements on advance payment that put them out of reach,” they wrote. “Increased pressure from HHS, providers, and the public has led UHG to allegedly shift from a loan program to advance payments, but UHG’s history shows an unwillingness to provide robust, easy to access, and needed relief. Further, despite the change to the program being made late last week, providers in our state have yet to report any meaningful relief in a situation where every minute counts. We urge you to hold UHG accountable and ensure that UHG’s response meets the moment.”

Federal funding will bolster local transit, road & pedestrian safety projects, as well as the Greater Hartford Mobility Study: River Gateway

[HARTFORD, CT] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives John B. Larson (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) joined Governor Ned Lamont and CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto to announce $21.8 million in federal funding for pedestrian and road safety projects in Connecticut.

The federal funding comes from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program through the Inflation Reduction Act, and will fund projects in Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport, Hartford, Naugatuck and Western Connecticut. 

“This unprecedented investment will make Connecticut’s roadways safer for all and reconnect communities that have long been disconnected and divided by highways. With this $21.8 million in federal funding, Connecticut communities will transform road and pedestrian safety, and make access to reliable transportation easier for all, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

“The way that many Connecticut cities are designed has cut neighborhoods off from each other. This almost $22 million will support projects across the state to improve road safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, make public transit more accessible to everyone, and reconnect neighborhoods. Projects like these have impacts far beyond transportation – they create good-paying jobs and revitalize our downtowns, and I’m glad to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continue to pay dividends,” said Murphy.

“As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to ensuring our investments deliver for the American people,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “The funding provided to local transit projects in Connecticut will go a long way to rebuilding our crumbling roads, sidewalks, rail infrastructure, and more.”

“Too many communities across the Fifth District and Connecticut are disconnected due to poor transportation options, forcing residents to travel long distances to seek basic needs like health care and education. It is great to see nearly $22 million of federal funding being invested into bridging these gaps and connecting more communities. Improved transit access not only sparks economic development but makes our neighborhoods more equitable for all,” said Congresswoman Hayes.

“The Connecticut delegation fought for the inclusion of the “Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program” in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to end the isolation caused by the construction of I-84 and I-91, particularly in Hartford and East Hartford,” said Congressman Larson. This grant will advance efforts to reclaim the riverfront, reconnect Hartford’s North End with the rest of the city, and promote multimodal transit. Notably, this project brings us closer to achieving the longstanding goal of recapturing the riverfront in Hartford. Burying I-91 from the Founders Bridge to Dillon Stadium will unlock direct access to the Connecticut River and create new pedestrian and bicycle routes for communities on both sides of the river. I commend Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Transportation and I look forward to working with them to fix the Hartford region’s past planning mistakes and move the interests of the community forward.” 

“I am thrilled to see federal funds help connect our communities and make our thoroughfares safer and more accessible so that commuters can get to work, children to school, and families to visit relatives a town over with ease and peace of mind. As an avid biker myself, I understand the importance of dedicated infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists so that every member of our community can easily traverse our cities and enjoy Southwest Connecticut’s vibrant natural spaces and bustling commercial areas,” Congressman Himes said.

“These federal funds are going to increase safety and mobility throughout Connecticut. Much of our state’s infrastructure was designed and built for cars and cut off communities from one another. By refocusing on pedestrians and bicyclists, the state can have roadways that work for everyone. Thank you to President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, and our entire federal delegation for providing these funds that improve safety and reconnect communities,” said Governor Lamont.

“The Greater Hartford Mobility Study is a generational investment that will improve safety, reduce congestion, reconnect the city and provide greater access to the riverfront and open space. From redesigned highways to improved local roads and new public transportation services and additional bicyclist and pedestrian amenities, the Greater Hartford Mobility Study is a transformational project that benefits all roadway users,” said Commissioner Eucalitto.

More information on the projects that received funding can be found below:

• $17 million for the city of Stamford for the West Side Neighborhood Connector Project.

This project will fund a 12-foot-wide neighborhood greenway to connect residents of the West Side neighborhood past I-95 to the Metro-North Railroad Line, and the South State Street area to Downtown Stamford and the South End neighborhoods.

• $600,000 for MetroCOG for Bringing Resilient, Interconnected Development to the East End of Bridgeport.

This community planning grant will analyze the Interstate 95 (Exit 29), Seaview Avenue, Stratford Avenue and Connecticut Avenue intersection in the East End of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The study will evaluate current and future uses and provide a forum for robust public engagement to better align the transportation infrastructure with the goals and needs of the East End and the City of Bridgeport.

• $600,000 for the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency for the MLK Community Reconnection Project.

This project will build on the work of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency for the MLK Community Reconnection Project to improve pedestrian safety and remediate safety risks posed by I-95 and the care centric corridor it created.

• $2 million for CTDOT for the Greater Hartford Mobility Study (GHMS): River Gateway.

Hartford/East Hartford has four distinct components that will strengthen the City of Hartford’s connections to the Connecticut River, East Hartford, and reconnect the Downtown to the surrounding neighborhoods which have had limited access due to the barrier created by Interstate I-91 in the mid-20th century. The Project includes the capping of I-91 from the Founders Bridge to Dillon Stadium and the creation of a surface boulevard, redesigning Whitehead Highway as an urban boulevard from Pulaski Circle to the west and the riverfront to the east and creating a new local bridge over the Connecticut River with bicycle and pedestrian amenities between the Whitehead Highway and Riverfront Boulevard to East River Drive in East Hartford. The creation of the region’s highway system, including I-91, disconnected neighborhoods from each other and resources in Hartford and East Hartford, which directly impacts residents’ income and overall health.

• $652,800 for the Borough of Naugatuck for the Eastside-Westside Connectivity and Rail Mitigation Planning Project.

Project will provide planning funding to enable construction of a pedestrian connection, linking the Borough of Naugatuck’s Metro North Rail Line and the downtown core in the west with the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail and State Route Highway 8 in the east. The east and west sides are currently disconnected by the Metro North Rail Line and the Naugatuck River, with affordable and market rate housing developments taking shape on either side of the river.

• $1 million for WestCOG for the Western Connecticut Regional Transit Study.

Southwestern Connecticut is served by three transit agencies providing fixed route, paratransit and other bus services to one of three cities and surrounding areas in the region. These funds will be used to study barriers to using transit systems and provide solutions that ensure efficiency and affordability.

WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) on Wednesday sent a letter to David Neeleman, the Chief Executive Officer of Breeze Aviation Group, Inc. cautioning him to respect workers’ rights as employees in Connecticut consider the decision to join a union.

Earlier this year, flight attendants employed by Breeze Airways announced a campaign to form a union with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) and filed for an election with the National Mediation Board.

“Breeze Airways employs nearly 600 flight attendants across the United States – including 99 based at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. We are excited that Breeze is continuing to offer additional flights from Bradley International Airport. As you continue to expand your operations and presence in Connecticut, it is important that the workforce powering that expansion remains free to decide whether they would like to unionize, free from any employer interference,” the lawmakerswrote.

“Now more than ever, Americans recognize the important role that labor unions play in securing safe working conditions, fair pay, and respectful treatment for the workers they represent. A number of recent high profile contract negotiations have thrust labor unions into the public eye and given greater visibility of them than in years past. As more workers explore whether or not joining a union is right for them, executives like you have an important role to play in showing these workers that their rights will be respected by those in positions of authority. Your non-interference will give workers the confidence they need to make the decision that is best for them and their families,” the lawmakers added.