Senate Leadership
January 31, 2007
Williams Touts ‘Connecticut Health First Initiative’ to Key Legislative Committee
Immediate expanded access on the way to ‘Medicare-for-all’-type model
Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) today testified before the General Assembly's Public Health Committee on his Connecticut Health First Initiative, calling it a "new way" to immediately expand access to quality, affordable health care while moving the state toward a Medicare-for-all model.
"The Connecticut Health First Initiative stands for the proposition that we must fix a broken system. Fortunately there is a proven alternative. It's called Medicare," Sen. Williams said in his testimony. "It's proven, works well for America's seniors, and directs more resources into healthcare instead of overhead and administration. We should create a Medicare-for-all program in Connecticut that provides quality, simplicity and affordability in health care for everyone. While best accomplished on the national level, we can develop a new model of health care by overcoming obstacles such as federal waivers and statutory barriers. At the same time, we can act now to insure up to 40% of those without health insurance by expanding our HUSKY and Medicaid programs for children and adults."
Sen. Williams noted the plan immediately helps about 140,000. "We propose to do this with targeted outreach to the 60,000 or more individuals who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, our HUSKY plan. We will increase income limits for childless adults in SAGA, from 60% of the federal poverty limit to 100%. We will increase income limits for parents and caretaker relatives of HUSKY-eligible kids from 150% to 185% of the federal poverty level. And we will allow families to carry their dependent children on their private health insurance until those children are at least age 26, helping many young adults starting out in their first jobs to gain access to care."
Sen. Williams unveiled the Connecticut Health First Initiative last week and received very positive responses from doctors, nurses, providers and advocates. Today's testimony was designed to help the initiative become law in Connecticut.
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Senator Williams’ Larry Cook |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Larry Cook |
