State Senator Edith G. Prague
March 11, 2009
Prague to Promote Office of Healthcare Advocate; Says 19th District Residents Benefit Most From its Services
State Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia), Senate Chair of the legislature’s Select Committee on Aging, will testify tomorrow on behalf of Connecticut’s Healthcare Advocate, Kevin Lembo, when his reappointment is considered by the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee. Senator Prague will also call for outright rejection of Governor Rell’s proposal to eliminate the Office of Healthcare Advocate (OHA) altogether.
The OHA works to answer questions and resolve conflicts state residents may have about their individual insurance coverage; it is funded entirely by insurance companies and provides its services for free. Residents of the 19th Senatorial District make the most use of services provided by the OHA, according to data compiled at the end of 2008. The OHA says it returned more than $766,000 to health insurance consumers in that part of the state since 2005.
Last year Senator Prague and Mr. Lembo toured the senior centers of her district to help residents decipher individual healthcare plans and promote the assistance available to them through OHA. Senator Prague said she is convinced the collaborative outreach effort led directly to the increased use of OHA services.
“The role of the OHA has once again proved itself invaluable, not only to the residents of my district, but to any resident statewide with a question about what might or might not be covered by a particular policy, or anyone who has had a health insurance claim denied or refused,” Senator Prague said. “It seems to me anyone with a question or concern about insurance coverage for a health-related issue really ought to call OHA for a resolution; to eliminate the office and its services altogether would be a shame and a disservice to all residents.”
“Information provided by the OHA has been helpful to many legislators, too, when public policy regarding health insurance is under consideration in the General Assembly,” Senator Prague added. “We urgently need comprehensive reform throughout our state’s healthcare delivery system and the continuing presence of the OHA and its staff will be critically important as we pursue those reforms.”
Senator Prague is serving her 12th term in the General Assembly. She is the Senate Chair of the legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee and its Select Committee on Aging.
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Senator Prague’s |
Listing of Senator Prague’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Laurence Grotheer |
