Senate Leadership
June 5, 2008
HUSKY Expansion—One Year Later
Thousands have been helped; worsening economy could force thousands of additional families to seek HUSKY help
Senator Williams speaks at a press conference held on the first anniversary of the passage of the HealthFirst Connecticut and Healthy Kids Initiatives to take note of the specific success in increasing the number of adults who now have health insurance under the HUSKY Program. Joining Senator Williams are Senators Jonathan Harris and Andrew Maynard, and Sharon Langer, senior policy fellow for Connecticut Voices For Children. (June 5, 2008)
In the midst of a national and state economic slowdown that has affected employment and job benefits, Senate Democratic leaders gathered today to celebrate the one-year passage of Senate Bill 1484, a Democratic health-care policy initiative that over the past year has helped enroll an additional 11,693 adults in Connecticut's HUSKY A health-care program.
SB 1484, "An Act Concerning the HealthFirst Connecticut and Healthy Kids Initiatives," passed the state Senate June 5, 2007 on a strict, party-line vote of 24-12. The bill passed the state House of Representatives later that same day on a similar party-line vote of 96-46 (with just two Democrats voting 'no'), and it was signed into law by Gov. M. Jodi Rell on July 10, 2007.
The law enacted a variety of important health-care initiatives, including raising the HUSKY A (Medicaid) qualifying income level for adult parents and relative caregivers from 150 percent to 185 percent of the federal poverty level (from $25,755 to $31,764 annually for a family of three in 2007). The bill also required the automatic enrollment at birth (so-called "presumptive eligibility") of uninsured newborns; an additional 10,625 children under age 19 have been enrolled in HUSKY A since the new law took effect last year. The bill also allocated $2 million to increase outreach efforts by the state Department of Social Services to maximize the enrollment of children and adults in HUSKY; those efforts were particularly targeted at the Latino and minority populations.
"I applaud Gov. Rell for signing this bill last year--despite opposition from Republican legislators--and for helping to ensure that more families have access to health care," said Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn), who was the main architect of the HUSKY changes. "As our economic downturn continues, this HUSKY expansion will no doubt end up helping many more families. To be sure, more must be done. Our two Healthcare Authorities will be reporting back at the end of this year on how best to ensure that all Connecticut citizens have access to affordable health insurance."
"We are now witnessing the success of last year's efforts by lawmakers to improve health care coverage and access for children, parents, and pregnant women," said Sharon Langer, senior policy fellow for Connecticut Voices For Children, a leading research-based, public education and advocacy organization that works statewide to promote the well-being of Connecticut's children, youth and families. "In tough economic times, when fewer employers are providing coverage to Connecticut's families, HUSKY is an increasingly vital protection for our state's children and working parents."
"As a legislature, we're not just about passing laws and letting them sit on the books. We need to track our investments and make sure they are paying off. This investment is obviously paying off. And we need to learn from it and build upon it," said Sen. Jonathan A. Harris (D-West Hartford), who is co-chairman of the Human Services Committee. "There are now 12,000 more adults and 10,000 more children in Connecticut who are enrolled in a health care program. That's 12,000 more adults who can continue to work and raise their children because they're getting the health care they need."
"The long-term value of improved access to health care is getting patients together with doctors, nurses, and other health-care professionals -in this case through expanded HUSKY A insurance--so the stigma of going to a doctor is removed through familiarity and personal involvement," said Sen. Mary Ann Handley (D-Manchester), who is co-chairman of the Public Health Committee. "The payoff for investing in improved access is early diagnosis and treatment of illness and a greater overall awareness of healthy living so more acute--and more expensive--conditions don't enter into the picture."
"Government doesn't always get it right, and too often we can overlook the successes we have. This time we did get it right, and this is a success," said Sen. Andrew Maynard (D-Stonington), who voted for the bill. "I'm encouraged that last year's effort is bearing these results and that this program is helping so many families across our state. These are difficult times, and there's nothing more important than easy and affordable access to health care."
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