Governor John Carney published an op-ed about progress made in Delaware to get more Delawareans health insurance coverage, and reminds Delawareans the ACA health insurance marketplace enrollment period ends December 15. 

Ten years ago, before President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, it was legal for insurance companies to deny Delawareans health coverage because they had diabetes or another pre-existing condition.

Across our state, more than 11 percent of Delawareans went without insurance. They skipped preventive visits to their doctors. And they accepted that a health crisis could also mean losing all their savings, or worse.

In the years since, we have made substantial progress in reducing the number of uninsured Delawareans.

With federal assistance, we have expanded our Medicaid program to provide quality health insurance coverage for Delaware families who need it the most. And more than 22,000 Delawareans have signed up for a health plan under the ACA health insurance marketplace.

Since implementation of the ACA, we have nearly cut our uninsured population in half in Delaware. And here’s some good news this year: rates on the ACA health insurance marketplace are down almost 20 percent, which we hope will encourage more Delawareans to get covered.

This is because, working with the General Assembly, we passed House Bill 193 into law, creating a reinsurance program which helped drive down the cost of coverage on the ACA marketplace.

In addition, some people will qualify for premium assistance, making the plans even more affordable.

That’s a really big deal. And as we near this year’s deadline of open enrollment on the ACA health insurance marketplace, we want to make sure even more Delawareans get covered.

For Delawareans who don’t have coverage through their employers, and for those who already have insurance through the ACA marketplace, I want to remind you and urge you to shop and compare ACA marketplace plans.

If you don’t have coverage, you need to act quickly. Enrollment on the ACA marketplace is open through December 15. Visit ChooseHealthDE.com to review your options and enroll at healthcare.gov.

If you’re not sure if can afford coverage on the marketplace, Westside Family Healthcare has health care navigators to help walk you through your options, including whether you and your family are eligible for financial assistance.

To make an appointment with a marketplace navigator, call Westside Family Healthcare at 302-472-8655 in New Castle County or 302-678-2205 in Kent and Sussex counties. Or visit ChooseHealthDE.com.

We know that we still have a lot of hard work to make health care more affordable for Delawareans and Delaware families. That’s why – working with members of the General Assembly – we created the new reinsurance program.

And that’s why we are working with health care providers on an initiative to bring transparency to health care prices and give Delaware consumers more information when they are making decision on where to get care.

Our overall goals are to reduce health care costs costs, and improve affordability and health outcomes for Delawareans across our state.

Our overall goals are to reduce health care costs and to improve affordability and health outcomes for Delawareans across our state. To do this, we need to build on the foundation of the ACA until all Delawareans are able to get the quality health care they deserve.

John Carney is the 74th Governor of the State of Delaware.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney published an op-ed in The News Journal about progress made in Delaware to strengthen our economy, improve Delaware’s schools, protect our environment, and responsibly manage taxpayer dollars.

The following is an excerpt from Governor Carney’s op-ed:

“Over the past three years, we have worked hard to connect with Delawareans to get their ideas on how to make Delaware an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. We’ve held more than 50 town hall meetings, small business roundtables, and other public discussions. Time and again, we’ve heard that Delawareans expect us to manage their taxpayer dollars responsibly. Every Delaware family has to worry about their own budget — how they will make important investments while saving for the future. The state should do the same. I’m proud to say that the budget I signed on June 25 meets that test. As part of the state’s 2020 budget, we set aside $125 million in reserves to guard against budget cuts and tax increases the next time we face an economic downturn. That’s in addition to the $250 million Rainy Day fund.

We’re also continuing to make investments where we can make a real difference. We’re funding a six-year, $3.2 billion transportation infrastructure program to fix roads and bridges, and create good-paying jobs, up and down our state. And we’re directing more than $100 million to our highest-needs schools because I’m optimistic that we can help more Delaware children succeed in the classroom. This is hard work that requires a long-term commitment. But we are moving in the right direction.”

Read the full op-ed: We’re making progress

Strengthening our economy.

Improving schools for all Delaware children.

Preserving Delaware’s unique natural heritage.

Responsibly managing taxpayer dollars.

Since taking office as your governor in January 2017, these have been my top priorities. And it’s clear that we’re making real progress.

More Delaware students are graduating from high school. Our unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 30 years. We’re preserving record amounts of open space statewide.

And Delaware is on sound financial footing just two years after climbing out of a $400 million budget deficit.

Our progress is thanks in large part to Delawareans speaking up, and having their voices heard in Legislative Hall and in communities across our state.

Over the past three years, we have worked hard to connect with Delawareans to get their ideas on how to make Delaware an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. We’ve held more than 50 town hall meetings, small business roundtables, and other public discussions.

Time and again, we’ve heard that Delawareans expect us to manage their taxpayer dollars responsibly. Every Delaware family has to worry about their own budget — how they will make important investments while saving for the future. The state should do the same.

I’m proud to say that the budget I signed on June 25 meets that test. As part of the state’s 2020 budget, we set aside $125 million in reserves to guard against budget cuts and tax increases the next time we face an economic downturn. That’s in addition to the $250 million Rainy Day fund.

We’re also continuing to make investments where we can make a real difference.

We’re funding a six-year, $3.2 billion transportation infrastructure program to fix roads and bridges, and create good-paying jobs, up and down our state. And we’re directing more than $100 million to our highest-needs schools because I’m optimistic that we can help more Delaware children succeed in the classroom.

This is hard work that requires a long-term commitment. But we are moving in the right direction.

Working with members of the General Assembly this year, we created the Opportunity Funding initiative to provide more support for the Delaware students who need our help the most — children living in poverty, and children from families where English is not the primary language.

The initiative sets aside $75 million over three years for low-income students and English learners, as well as additional mental health and reading supports. Our goals are simple: to help more Delaware children read proficiently by third grade, do math on grade level by middle school, and graduate high school ready for college or a good-paying career.

It is in every Delawarean’s best interest to make sure all Delaware children have an opportunity to succeed, and contribute positively to the success of our state. We believe the Opportunity Funding initiative will help us deliver on that promise.

We’re also making significant investments in Delaware’s infrastructure and our economy.

Early on July 1, I signed an $863 million capital budget — our largest infrastructure plan ever — that will help us build schools, preserve open space, fund new affordable housing, rebuild drinking water infrastructure, and support economic development projects at Delaware’s colleges and universities.

These are fundamental investments that will create good-paying jobs, and benefit every Delaware family.

Working with members of a new, more diverse General Assembly, we made progress on a host of other issues, as well.

We passed an Equal Rights Amendment to Delaware’s Constitution, and reforms that will make our criminal justice system fairer for all Delawareans. We passed legislation that will protect health insurance coverage for Delawareans with pre-existing conditions.

We passed early voting legislation that will make it easier for more Delawareans to cast a ballot and participate in our democratic process.

With the help of student activists, we raised the smoking age to 21 to prevent more young Delawareans from smoking, to save lives, and save health care costs. And we banned single-use plastic bags to get rid of litter in Delaware communities, to protect our environment, and protect Delaware wildlife.

This is real progress toward our shared objectives that will make Delaware stronger than ever before. Our future as a state is bright. With your help, I look forward to continuing to work together for Delaware families of today, and for future generations.

Learn more about the 2019 legislative session at de.gov/recap.

Protecting the Health of our Young People, and our State’s Future, by Raising the Minimum Sales Age of Tobacco Products from 18 to 21

Op-ed by Karyl T. Rattay, MD, MS, Director, Division of Public Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services

It’s a fact that most smokers start using tobacco as youth: Eighty-nine percent of current adult Delaware smokers started before the age of 21; and slightly over 17 percent started between the ages of 18 and 20, according to 2017 Delaware Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS) data.

Nicotine addiction keeps young people using tobacco products which increases the risk of physical damage to their bodies. Exposure to nicotine can have lasting effects on adolescent brain development, and can disrupt the formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction. Youth and young adults who use tobacco are also at risk for developing early abdominal aortic atherosclerosis, which affects the flow of blood to vital organs; reduced lung growth, which increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) later in life; and reduced lung function. Adolescent girls and young women who become addicted to nicotine and use tobacco during pregnancy increase the risk of a premature birth or even the death of their child.

An emerging policy intervention to help reduce youth and young adult initiation of, and access to, tobacco products is to increase the legal age for the sale of these products from 18 to 21 years old. These are known as “Tobacco 21 or T21 laws.” Research shows that youth often turn to older friends and classmates as sources of cigarettes. Increasing the tobacco age to 21 in Delaware would reduce the likelihood that a high school student will be able to legally purchase tobacco products for themselves, other students, or underage friends. Adolescents age 15-17 would also have a harder time passing themselves off as 21-year-olds. As many tobacco users between 18 and 21 move from experimental use to regular, daily use, a T21 law would prevent this as well. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that increasing the age of sale to 21 would decrease long-term tobacco use by about 12 percent. And, it could decrease tobacco-related deaths by 10 percent.

Sen. Bryan Townsend introduced T21 legislation in Delaware last week. SB25, which has the support of Gov. John Carney, additionally imposes a civil penalty for sales to 18- to 21-year-olds, prohibits parents and guardians from purchasing tobacco products for minors, and prohibits individuals under age 21 from entering vapor establishments.

Seven states, including our neighboring states of New Jersey and Virginia, have passed T21 laws. Seventy percent of Delawareans surveyed by the 2017 ATS support a T21 law. A majority of current tobacco product users surveyed also support such a law.

As the Director of the Division of Public Health (DPH) and a board-certified pediatrician, I support SB25 because it is a population-based health initiative that promotes health, prevents disease, averts a lifelong addiction to nicotine and steers Delawareans away from the dangers of tobacco use.

The toll of tobacco use is staggering. Tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Delaware and the United States. Our latest cancer data report lists tobacco use or smoking as risk factors for 16 cancers.

Of particular concern to us here in Delaware is lung cancer. Our most recent cancer statistics indicate lung cancer accounted for 14 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer cases and 30 percent of all cancer deaths. An estimated 85 to 90 percent of all lung cancer cases are caused by tobacco use, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Additionally, secondhand smoke is a known cause of low birthweight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and lung problems, asthma, and ear infections among children.

Every year, nearly 1,400 adult Delawareans die from smoking-related illnesses, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. The U.S. Surgeon General warns that an estimated 17,000 Delaware youth who are now under age 18, will ultimately die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses if current trends continue.

Despite our great strides in reducing tobacco use, especially reducing youth smoking rates, we still have a long way to go. We are seeing an alarming increase in the use of electronic cigarettes. Although only 6.2 percent of Delaware high school students smoked regular cigarettes in 2017, nearly 20 percent used some type of tobacco product. Also, a 2018 Institute of Medicine report indicates young people who begin with e-cigarettes are more likely to transition to combustible cigarette use, and are at risk for suffering associated health burdens. We must take innovative actions.

For more than 30 years, Delaware has been a national leader in establishing tobacco prevention interventions that help protect the health of all Delawareans. We all breathe easier in public places and workplaces thanks to the Delaware General Assembly’s passage of the Clean Indoor Air Act. Our legislators created the Delaware Health Fund which helps the state maintain a comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program. The creation of the Delaware Cancer Consortium led to a large group of dedicated people who continuously make our cancer prevention, detection, and treatment system work better. The DCC recommends enacting legislation to increase the age to 21 to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products.

DPH and our health partners have worked hard to save lives and safeguard Delawareans from a diminished quality of life by guiding them toward healthy behaviors. Delaware should join the states that are passing T21 laws – and remain a national leader in protecting the health of our citizens.

Op-ed by Governor John Carney

What makes a city great?

Cities are centers of commerce, arts, sports and places where we can live together. Great cities have good schools and safe and strong neighborhoods where every child has an opportunity to be successful.

But great cities are more than the sum of these parts. A city becomes great when its residents feel a collective sense of pride, satisfaction and gratitude for what they have built together.

That’s why I joined Mayor Mike Purzycki and the neighborhood and community leaders of Wilmington on September 28th for the launch of the mayor’s It’s Time initiative.

Wilmington is the hidden jewel of the Mid-Atlantic. We might not get the attention of our larger neighbors north and south along the Amtrak corridor, but that shouldn’t stop us from celebrating what we know makes Wilmington such a special place.

It’s about time.

It’s time to recognize that Wilmington is home to at least 50 financial, chemical, pharmaceutical and technology-based companies. They employ thousands of people, many of whom moved here to advance their careers.

It’s time to recognize our strong neighborhoods and the tight-knit communities they support – from Southbridge to Hilltop to Forty Acres to the East Side to Triangle, where I live.

It’s time to spread the word that Wilmington has an entrepreneurial culture, great for young people who may not want to work for a large company but are starting businesses that sell services and products to those larger companies based here. From start-ups at The Mill to companies that have grown like Chemours and Incyte, Wilmington has the jobs of the new economy.

No one wants a job in a place where the salaries don’t keep up with the cost of living, or where the arts, recreational and eating and drinking scene is not vibrant. The best kept secret about Wilmington is that its salaries would be competitive even in our high-cost neighboring cities, but a dollar in Wilmington goes so much further.

It’s time we stop keeping it a secret.

Compared to Wilmington, housing costs 131 percent more in Washington, DC; 34 percent more in Baltimore; and 18 percent more in Philadelphia. Someone earning $70,000 a year in Wilmington could afford the same lifestyle of someone in Washington earning over $101,000.

It’s time to celebrate Wilmington’s rich and diverse ethnic and cultural heritage. We have Latino immigrants, third and fourth generation Italian and Irish and Polish families, and a strong African American community.

If you walk down Market Street today, or along the Riverfront, you’ll see a bustling city. You see senior citizens taking their grandkids to the Delaware History Museum. You see millennials enjoying happy hour at Merchant Bar or Farmer and the Cow or Chelsea Tavern. You see people of all ages at the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, and cyclists from across the country at the Wilmington Grand Prix.

You see kids playing in our neighborhood parks – from Eden Park to Haynes Park to Judy Johnson Park to Prices Run to Canby Park. You see corporate lawyers and bankers at lunch at Tonic or eating from food trucks in Rodney Square.

You see cyclists along the Markell Trail and runners along the Brandywine. You see families at the Hispanic Festival and Blue Rocks games and August Quarterly. You see students at the Delaware College of Art and Design and new residents at Market Street Village.

By the end of the year, you’ll see professional basketball games and recreational lacrosse at the 76ers Fieldhouse. Whether you’re new to the city or have lived here all your life, there’s no denying that Wilmington is alive, and that it’s our time – our moment.

Our success is the result of neighborhood and community leaders, business representatives, and elected officials working together to ensure that every Wilmingtonian has the opportunity to succeed in the new economy.

We have been making investments to improve quality of life for a diverse citizenry. We’ve sought assistance for homeless veterans in the city, supported new downtown residential and business development, pushed for the revival of the Queen, worked to restore Rodney Square, and helped attract the new UDairy Creamery and Stitch House Brewery.

I am a proud Wilmington resident who is standing with my neighbors throughout the city to recognize that what we have in Wilmington is what other towns are trying to become. No city will ever be perfect, but the worst thing we can do is not believe we are as good as we are.

It’s time, Wilmington.

Op-ed by Governor John Carney

Watching a Blue Rocks game. Sitting by the pool. Walking along the Rehoboth boardwalk.

For most of us, that’s what summertime means. It’s a time of fun and relaxation.

But for the majority of Delawareans with asthma or other breathing problems, summer can be a nightmare.

That’s because Delaware’s air quality ranks among the worst in the country. The real kicker, though, is that 90 percent of that pollution comes from other states.

Delaware has made great strides over the past 30 years in reducing our own emissions.

We’ve enacted stricter controls on power plants, refineries, and manufacturing sites.

From 2000-2017, Delaware’s coal-fired electric generation has been reduced by approximately 90 percent. We’ve reduced coal-fired power generation to one well-controlled unit in the entire state.

To comply with federal and state air regulations, Delaware electric generators and operators such as Calpine and NRG have spent millions of dollars to control emissions that cause ozone pollution.

But, without help from the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, we can’t move the needle on our air quality. So, we asked the EPA to intervene in the states that are “upwind” from Delaware – where all our air pollution is coming from.

Most of the power plants in these states have pollution control technology. But sometimes, the plants don’t turn the technology on.

Delaware asked the EPA to require these power plants to run their pollution control equipment any time the plants are in operation, and especially during the summer months, when ozone levels are the highest.

EPA has the authority to do this under the Clean Air Act. We’re asking them to use it. 

Unfortunately, though, the EPA recently proposed to deny our request. So, for the time being, Delawareans will continue to suffer as we enter this hot summer season.

Working with Attorney General Matt Denn, we’re looking at ways to force the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act, and protect Delaware’s air quality.

We can have a debate about the role of government, or climate change, or the decisions coming out of Washington. But there’s no disputing that power plant emissions cause air pollution, air pollution makes it harder to breathe, and Delaware’s air pollution is coming almost entirely from other states.

Delaware’s companies have spent the money and cleaned up their emissions. Other states have not.

If we do nothing else as a government, it seems to me that ensuring our citizens have clean air to breathe should be the minimum standard.

Delaware will continue to employ state-of-the-art emission control technology for our industrial sites. We will continue doing what we can to keep our citizens safe. But we need the federal government to step up and do its job, as well, so all Delawareans can breathe easy.

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