FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

July 31, 2026

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) released the following statement today in response to the announcement that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to end a Medicare prescription drug subsidy program at the end of 2026 that reduced consumer prescription drug costs for millions in the last two years. As many as 25 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Part D plans, in which the subsidy program reduced the average monthly premium by $16 in 2026.

“This decision to end the Medicare Part D premium stabilization program is a step in the wrong direction. It places millions of seniors and people with disabilities at risk of higher prescription drug costs and greater financial security. At a time when families are already struggling with the cost of living, this decision makes essential healthcare less affordable for those who need it most.

As a physician, I have cared for far too many patients who skip medications, cut pills in half or delay treatment because they cannot afford their prescriptions. Policies that increase financial barriers do not save money. They lead to more illness, more emergency room visits, more hospitalizations and ultimately higher healthcare costs.

I believe we should be strengthening protections that make medications affordable, not dismantling them. Our seniors deserve stability, dignity and the peace of mind that they will never have to choose between filling a prescription, buying groceries or paying their utility bills. We must put patients before politics and protect access to lifesaving medications.”

Senator Anwar Issues Statement on Eversource’s Proposed 18% Rate Increase

Today, Senator Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, released the following statement after Eversource filed for a rate increase that could raise the average residential customer’s monthly bill by 18%:

“It is hard to accept that a company making billions of dollars in profits, while paying its top executives millions, keeps coming back to working families and asking them to pay even more. The people making these decisions are not the ones climbing poles in the middle of a storm or sitting at the kitchen table trying to figure out how to pay another higher electric bill.

“What makes this even more frustrating is the timing. We are in the middle of a hot summer, and families are already struggling with the rising cost of groceries, housing, childcare, and just about everything else. Electricity is not a luxury—it is a necessity. No one should have to choose between keeping their home cool and paying for other essentials.

“Our residents should not be expected to shoulder higher bills simply to protect a corporation’s profits. Connecticut families deserve a utility company that understands the financial realities people are living with every day, not one that keeps asking them to carry a heavier burden,” Senator Anwar said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov