Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Testifies in Support of Crucial Health Care Reform Legislation

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) listened to testimony while standing strongly in favor of crucial health care reform legislation during a public hearing in the Insurance & Real Estate Committee. The legislation, if approved, would make health care more affordable for families and small businesses, expanding health coverage, reducing premiums and deductibles on AccessHealthCT, the state’s health care insurance exchange, and create new, affordable options for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, non-profits and labor unions.

“We know there are many in our state struggling economically, we know there are many needing better health care in our state as well, and we know we need to deliver them relief,” said Sen. Anwar. “This plan will lower costs for consumers everywhere. It will ensure more in our state can access and receive the care they need when they need it. It will benefit our small businesses, allowing them, and their employees, better care for better costs. It is a step forward for our state at a time where we cannot afford to do anything but progress.”

Introduced today by State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford) and State Comptroller Kevin Lembo in a morning press conference, Senate Bill 842, “An Act Concerning Health Insurance And Health Care In Connecticut,” would transform health insurance and health care in the state, benefitting numerous workers and employers alike.

The bill is specifically designed to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and address the health insurance affordability crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. Even before COVID-19 shown a spotlight on health equity, the uninsured rate for those just above the poverty level was already rising in Connecticut.

Eligibility for HUSKY, Connecticut’s Medicaid program, will also be expanded. Subsidies would be offered to people who purchase coverage on the health care exchange, a policy that has worked in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and other states. The bill will reduce uninsured rates in Connecticut and address the affordability of health care. The bill would also allow immigrants, working people with disabilities including those recovering from COVID-19, and people with chronic medical conditions the ability to purchase affordable coverage. It also coordinates unemployment insurance and health coverage to ensure that individuals who lose their jobs do not experience gaps in coverage.