Author: Devin James

SENATE ADVANCES KEY BILL PROTECTING CONNECTICUT PUBLIC HEALTH FROM RISK OF FEDERAL CHANGES

Posted on by Devin James

SENATE ADVANCES KEY BILL PROTECTING CONNECTICUT PUBLIC HEALTH FROM RISK OF FEDERAL CHANGES

Today, the State Senate advanced flagship legislation aiming to ensure Connecticut public health can continue to operate on current standards, pending potential changes federal officials have and may implement in the future.

The bill addresses a number of concerns including fluoride levels in public drinking water, emergency room treatment and care standards, recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration under the Trump administration, and private funding sources to support reproductive health care or gender-affirming health care services.

“Amid concerns about the future of health policy direction coming from the federal government, this bill is designed to future-proof Connecticut’s public health decisions to keep them aligned with currently accepted standards of care,” said State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “Challenges to widely accepted emergency room treatment policies, preventative treatment for dental health, and provision of reproductive and gender-affirming care could upend our systems as we know them if not for proactive consideration. What we pass today can and will retain Connecticut’s strong history of providing excellent health care.”

“Challenges to decades-old medical policies that have saved lives and impacted public health require an aggressive response to preserve the safety of our residents,” said Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven). “This bill preserves vital emergency room care standards that can mean the difference between life and death. Protecting dental health among children, it retains fluoride levels that have been long known to be safe. The bill declares substance use disorder a public health crisis and establishes a working group to combat its prevalence, and requires automatic external defibrillators to be installed in nursing homes. On top of all this, the bill takes steps to improve and ease access and safety of care, provide new tools for individuals to navigate care easier and create better health oversight standards for our state.”

Senate Bill 7, “An Act Concerning Protections For Access To Health Care And The Equitable Delivery Of Health Care Services In The State,” seeks to make a number of changes to public health policies in the state to ensure current standards of care and current policy decisions remain active. This shift comes amid concerns that new leadership in the federal government may make significant changes to widely accepted health standards.

Amid concerns that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act may not provide legally mandated care in all required situations – specifically when hospitals do not provide reproductive health care needed to stabilize patient health – the bill would require emergency departments to provide such care when a patient’s life or health is at serious risk. The bill adds provisions to ensure emergency departments cannot discriminate against patients in providing care.

Additionally, should federal EMTALA standards be revoked or inapplicable, the Department of Public Health would adopt regulations to implement EMTALA provisions for hospitals. Such regulations could be put in place rapidly should there be “imminent peril” to public health or safety.

The bill takes further steps to standardize current federal policy with concerns it may be changed in the near future. These include preserving a fluoride level of 0.7 mg/l in water systems serving 20,000 or more people as federal bodies cast doubt on fluoride in drinking water, aiding dental health in Connecticut while administering fluoride in low levels that are currently federally supported.

Additional aspects of the legislation involve the Department of Public Health commissioner establishing an advisory committee of public health school deans and experts in primary care, infectious disease and pediatrics who are professors at medical schools. This committee would review recommendations by the CDC and FDA to review whether they are in line with common medical standards. The bill further would establish a public health urgent communication account in the event of a public health emergency, as well as a financial safeguard account to address potential shortfalls in public health funding.

Another piece of the bill supports the creation of a safe harbor account that would collect private contributions supporting health care providers providing reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services, as well as nonprofits supporting reproductive health services and LGBTQ+ youth and families to support similar care.

It also seeks to create a pilot program to introduce overdose prevention centers through private donations; four such centers across the state would offer individuals with substance use disorder a safe location, with staff overseeing use, preventing overdoses and connecting those seeking aid with treatment and mental health support programs.

The bill’s additional provisions include:

-Declaring opioid use disorder a public health crisis and establish a working group to combat its prevalence

-Requiring physicians to inform patients with epilepsy on sudden unexpected death in patients

-Requiring automatic external defibrillators to be installed in nursing homes

-Support for pancreatic cancer screenings

-Make the Department of Corrections ombudsman responsible for evaluating health care services for inmates in correctional institutions

-Developing an online hospital financial assistance portal for patients and family members, serving as a tool to help people identify and apply for hospital financial assistance

-Implementing recommendations from a working group on staff safety issues affecting home health care and home health agencies

The bill passed by a 25-10 tally. With today’s Senate passage, the bill next heads to the House for further consideration.

Sen. Slap Leads Passage of Bill to Expand College Access for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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Sen. Slap Leads Passage of Bill to Expand College Access for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Derek Slap, Senate Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led bipartisan Senate passage of legislation that would explore expanding support to students within the Connecticut State University System with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).

The bill passed with a unanimous vote and now heads to the House.

The legislation requires the Board of Regents to work together with the Departments of Developmental Services, Social Services and Education to develop a plan to provide inclusive educational programs for students in the IDD community. The plan must include:

-Specifications for admission that do not include grade point average, standardized test scores or graduation from high school

-Identification of certain academic programs or courses that a student with an IDD may enroll in

-Inclusive academic enrichment experiences, extracurricular activities, employment or socialization opportunities

-Provision of individualized supports and services for the unique academic, social, housing and life-skills needs

-Availability of information and training for staff, faculty and peers to support IDD students

-Identify funding needed to provide inclusive educational and social programs

“Right now, our students in the IDD community are being left behind in higher education,” said Sen. Slap. “The college experience is critical for young people, not only for the workforce development and the academics – but also for fostering independence, learning to stand on your own two feet, expanding your horizons and meeting new people. Expanding access to higher education for all Connecticut residents and ensuring every student has the support they need has been a top priority of mine and I am grateful to my constituents for bringing this issue to my attention.”

A number of constituent-advocates brought this legislation to Senator Slap, including Lisa Roland, Darlene Borre and Shannon Knall.

“While Connecticut has made strides in promoting inclusive K-12 education, the transition to college remains out of reach for many. This bill will help bridge that gap by requiring a thoughtful, structured plan to integrate students with IDD into our state universities, giving them access to academic, social, and career-building experiences,” said Darlene Borre in her testimony.

Shannon Knall wrote of her son Jack’s experience in her testimony, “Tunxis’s smaller classes has been a benefit for Jack, but there has been no coordinated program to help him access his legal accommodations. As a parent, I have helped Jack to ensure accommodations were in place. There is also no obvious support for social scenarios or inclusion. I believe Tunxis was a great fit for Jack academically, but his success required immense participation by me. I know he didn’t want that, and would love to access supports on campus on his own. He will be graduating with his Associates Degree in May. And while this is a huge accomplishment, Jack wants to continue to learn and to become a teacher.”

Senator Hochadel Leads Final Passage of Bill to Prevent Discrimination in Long-Term Care Facilities

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Senator Hochadel Leads Final Passage of Bill to Prevent Discrimination in Long-Term Care Facilities

Senator Jan Hochadel, co-chair of the Aging Committee, led the state Senate Thursday in securing final passage of H.B. 6913, legislation to prohibit discrimination in Connecticut’s long-term care facilities.

The bill, which originated in the Aging Committee, was approved by the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 26 to 10, following similar support in the House earlier this month. The legislation now heads to Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature.

The proposal prohibits long-term care facilities and their staff from discriminating against residents based on a wide range of characteristics, including race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or medical status. It also requires facilities to post non-discrimination notices, provide regular cultural competency training for staff, and uphold residents’ privacy during personal care and medical treatment.

“This bill is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that Connecticut remains a place where seniors feel safe and respected as they age,” said Senator Hochadel, D-Meriden. “No one should fear being treated differently or unfairly based on who they are. This law will send a clear message that everyone in Connecticut deserves dignity and compassion in their later years.”

The bill also empowers the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman to record discrimination complaints and gives the Department of Public Health the authority to take disciplinary action against facilities that fail to comply.

SEN. CABRERA LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF A STRONGER MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LAW

Posted on by Devin James

SEN. CABRERA LEADS SENATE PASSAGE OF A STRONGER MENTAL HEALTH PARITY LAW

HARTFORD – State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden) today led Senate passage of a bill that strengthens Connecticut’s five-year-old mental health parity law by allowing the state Insurance Department to issue fines when insurers violate the law, and by expanding the list of health conditions that insurers must immediately cover with the most effective drugs, instead of relying on less-costly therapies first.

Senate Bill 10, “AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE AND PATIENT PROTECTION,” passed the Senate today on a bipartisan 31-5 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“If you have insurance, it shouldn’t be hard to find a therapist. If you need a drug, it should be the one your doctor prescribes – not the one your insurance company says it’s willing to pay for. That’s what we’re doing with this bill,” said Sen. Cabrera. “Mental health parity has been the law in this state for half a decade, but in many instances it’s a law in name only. This bill provides some much-needed bite in instances where insurers are skirting the law to the detriment of our citizens.”

Connecticut ranks 9th nationally for mental health access, but significant gaps remain:

-21% of adults—nearly 600,000 residents—experienced a mental illness in the past year.

-18% of adults with frequent mental distress couldn’t afford to see a doctor.

-Over 24,000 CT youth with major depression received no treatment at all.

Connecticut has had a mental health parity law on the books since 2000, but insurers continue to violate it with little consequence. Some insurers continue to underpay behavioral health providers compared to medical providers, they delay or deny treatment through stricter prior authorization and utilization review standards, or they maintain inadequate provider networks, forcing patents into costly out-of-network care.

Existing penalties, like a $1,000 fine for group plans, are far too weak to deter large insurers from cutting corners. Without real enforcement tools, an estimated half a million Connecticut residents are being denied the care they’re legally entitled to.

S.B. 10 fills the gaps that have made previous parity laws ineffective by establishing meaningful financial penalties for parity violations: the bill introduces a modern, scalable penalty structure of  $100 per product line per day, capped at $625,000 annually per insurer. The bill also gives the Insurance Department the ability to use outside experts for investigations.

S.B. 10 also improves the transparency of which insurers are adhering to the law – and which are not. The Insurance Department relies on insurer-submitted reports which are often incomplete and not independently verified. Some reports omit required sections or lack basic analysis. S.B. 10 allows the release of ‘parity compliance reports’ that don’t contain the overly broad redactions that currently shield insurers from scrutiny.

S.B. 10 also expands the ban on using so-called “step-therapy” – where an insurer tries various less-expensive options before committing to your doctor’s orders – for drugs treating multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Sen. Lesser, Rep. Gilchrest Condemn Congressional Passage of Sweeping Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP

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Sen. Lesser, Rep. Gilchrest Condemn Congressional Passage of Sweeping Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP

HARTFORD – State Senator Matt Lesser and State Representative Jillian Gilchrest, co-chairs of the Human Services Committee, issued a statement in response to Congressional Republicans passing Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” that slashes funding to Medicaid, food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), education and clean energy programs.

The bill cuts funding for Medicaid by $700 billion, cuts $300 billion from SNAP and imposes unworkable administrative requirements on the Department of Social Services (DSS).

“In the middle of the night, Congressional Republicans took their marching orders from Donald Trump and passed a draconian wealth transfer that rips away Americans’ most basic needs to pay for a tax cut for those who are so wealthy they won’t even notice it. Let us be clear – this bill results in hundreds of millions of dollars in unfunded mandates on Connecticut taxpayers. It shifts the costs associated with protecting our most vulnerable residents – the most basic principal of government – from the federal government to the states.”

“This policy will result in 15 million more uninsured Americans, increase the cost for Connecticut residents who purchase private insurance on Access Health and devastate our local grocers and hospitals who are major employers in our state.”

“Donald Trump has sold out hard working Americans to pad the bank accounts of his cronies like Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans ought to be ashamed of themselves for allowing it to happen.”

Sen. Lesser Votes to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Law

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Sen. Lesser Votes to Strengthen Mental Health Parity Law

HARTFORD – On Wednesday, State Senator Matt Lesser voted for passage of a bill that strengthens Connecticut’s mental health parity law by allowing the state Insurance Department to issue fines when insurers violate the law, and by expanding the list of health conditions that insurers must immediately cover with the most effective drugs, instead of relying on less-costly therapies first. Senator Lesser wrote the 2019 mental health parity law to ensure that mental health is treated with the same gravity as physical health.

Senate Bill 10, “AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE AND PATIENT PROTECTION,” passed the Senate Wednesday on an 31-5 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“In 2019 I wrote and helped pass Connecticut’s existing mental health parity law, but the bill needed teeth and that’s what we accomplished here today. Insurance companies will not be allowed to erect barriers for patients getting mental health treatment or substance abuse treatment. Going into the session, strengthening mental health parity was a top priority for me – and I’m glad that my caucus decided to make it a priority for our session,” said Sen. Lesser. “I am grateful to Senator Cabrera for his leadership, and our shared commitment to ensuring that Connecticut residents have access to the services they need.”

Connecticut ranks 9th nationally for mental health access, but significant gaps remain:

-21% of adults—nearly 600,000 residents—experienced a mental illness in the past year.

-18% of adults with frequent mental distress couldn’t afford to see a doctor.

-Over 24,000 CT youth with major depression received no treatment at all.

Connecticut has had a mental health parity law on the books since 2000, but insurers continue to violate it with little consequence. Some insurers continue to underpay behavioral health providers compared to medical providers, they delay or deny treatment through stricter prior authorization and utilization review standards, or they maintain inadequate provider networks, forcing patents into costly out-of-network care.

Existing penalties, like a $1,000 fine for group plans, are far too weak to deter large insurers from cutting corners. Without real enforcement tools, an estimated half a million Connecticut residents are being denied the care they’re legally entitled to.

-S.B. 10 fills the gaps that have made previous parity laws ineffective by establishing meaningful financial penalties for parity violations: the bill introduces a modern, scalable penalty structure of $100 per product line per day, capped at $625,000 annually per insurer. The bill also gives the Insurance Department the ability to use outside experts for investigations.

-S.B. 10 also improves the transparency of which insurers are adhering to the law – and which are not. The Insurance Department relies on insurer-submitted reports which are often incomplete and not independently verified. Some reports omit required sections or lack basic analysis. S.B. 10 allows the release of ‘parity compliance reports’ that don’t contain the overly broad redactions that currently shield insurers from scrutiny.

-S.B. 10 also expands the ban on using so-called “step-therapy” – where an insurer tries various less-expensive options before committing to your doctor’s orders – for drugs treating multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Sen. Lesser Leads Passage of Bill to Protect Medicaid Recipients from Discrimination

Posted on by Devin James

Sen. Lesser Leads Passage of Bill to Protect Medicaid Recipients from Discrimination

On Tuesday, State Senator Matt Lesser, Senate Chair of the Human Services Committee, led passage of legislation that will protect Medicaid recipients from discrimination from a medical provider. The legislation seeks to protect individuals whose rights are protected under the state’s human rights statutes which includes race, national origin, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, color, veteran status, and domestic violence victim status, among others.

The Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) will investigate claims of discrimination, and if a provider is determined to have discriminated in violation of these laws, the Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner may withhold Medicaid reimbursements to said provider.

“Right now the US Department of Health and Human Services is in a state of chaos, thanks to Elon Musk’s DOGE and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who have fired tens of thousands of federal employees with mass-firings and ‘reductions in force,'” said Sen. Lesser. Victims of discrimination who would ordinarily be able to bring claims to HHS may not have that opportunity if nobody is available to pick up the call. Codifying those protections in state law means that in Connecticut, victims will be able to bring their claims to CHRO and ensure that their claims are adjudicated fairly.”

An April email to staff announced that HHS is closing its office of civil rights (source: Politico)

Senator Hochadel Leads Final Passage of Legislation Requiring Insurance Coverage of Biomarker Testing

Posted on by Devin James

Senator Hochadel Leads Final Passage of Legislation Requiring Insurance Coverage of Biomarker Testing

Senator Jan Hochadel, co-chair of the legislature’s Aging Committee, led the state Senate Wednesday in securing unanimous final passage of a bill that will require health insurance policies to cover biomarker testing to diagnose and treat diseases and conditions like cancer.

The bill, H.B. 6771, passed the Senate, following a similar unanimous vote in the House earlier this month. The proposal will now head to Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk for his signature.

H.B. 6771 makes several changes to Connecticut’s health care and insurance laws including a new requirement that certain health insurance policies cover biomarker testing, a procedure that helps doctors to identify the most effective treatments to fight conditions like cancer.

“As a cancer survivor, I was proud to lead the Senate in unanimously adopting a policy that will help future cancer patients receive personalized care to match their genetic make up with the most effective course of treatment,” Senator Hochadel, D-Meriden, said. “With this new coverage requirement, more Connecticut patients will have a better shot at beating cancer and I’m thrilled that my colleagues joined me in supporting this legislation.”

The bill includes a number of other changes like establishing a 15-member Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Task Force to examine the needs of Connecticut residents living with dementia and the services currently available to them.

The group will also be expected to develop a State Alzheimer’s Plan to examine the service needs of people with Alzheimer’s, assess the existing resources available to them, and develop strategies to increase public awareness and improve related health care services.

Other sections of the bill will impact Connecticut’s long-term care facilities and their residents. For instance, H.B. 6771 requires all prospective employees to undergo a criminal history and patient abuse background check.

The bill includes provisions designed to protect long-term care facility residents in the event of facility closures.

One such section requires a closing facility to consider a resident’s closeness to family and support networks as they work to identify an appropriate placement. Another provision establishing a working group to examine state policies impacting residential care home evacuation procedures.

Senator Gaston Votes to Strengthen Connecticut-Puerto Rico Ties Through New Trade and Cultural Partnership

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Senator Gaston Votes to Strengthen Connecticut-Puerto Rico Ties Through New Trade and Cultural Partnership

Today, state Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) is celebrating passage of a bill he co-sponsored that would establish a Connecticut-Puerto Rican Trade Commission.

House Bill 5008, ‘An Act Establishing the Connecticut-Puerto Rico Trade Commission’ will promote economic growth, cultural exchange, and educational collaboration by fostering trade, investment, and bilateral partnerships between the two regions.

“Bridgeport is home to a vibrant Puerto Rican community that has contributed immensely to our state’s culture, economy, and spirit,” said Senator Gaston. “As we work to create the of the Connecticut-Puerto Rico Trade Commission, I am proud to help strengthen the vital bonds we share with Puerto Rico. We will work to advance economic opportunities, foster cultural exchange, and deepen our mutual support, while ensuring that the voices of Connecticut’s Puerto Rican population are heard in shaping the future of this important partnership.”

This bill will establish a 23-member Connecticut-Puerto Rico Trade Commission. This commission will advance bilateral trade and investment, initiate joint action on policy issues of mutual interest, promote business and academic exchanges, encourage mutual economic support and infrastructure investment, and address other issues the commission determines.

Commission members must be currently or formerly involved in organizations promoting Puerto Rican affairs or interested in trade relations between Connecticut and Puerto Rico.

This bill aims to foster economic and trade relations between Connecticut and Puerto Rico. It will also focus on strengthening commercial, cultural, and educational ties between the two regions. It will help to encourage mutual investment opportunities and trade partnerships, and facilitate programs that promote cultural understanding and exchange.

Senate Passes Legislation to Study Connecticut’s Family Entertainment Landscape and Movie Time Transparency

Posted on by Devin James

Senate Passes Legislation to Study Connecticut’s Family Entertainment Landscape and Movie Time Transparency

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney led the Senate Wednesday in passage of a bill to study the benefits and impact of disclosing the actual start times of films shown in Connecticut’s movie theaters while making recommendations to increase the availability of family entertainment options throughout the state.

The Senate approved S.B. 797 on a 27-9 vote, sending the proposal to the House for consideration ahead of the legislative session’s June 4 adjournment date.

Senator Looney, D-New Haven, initially proposed S.B. 797 to require the disclosure of accurate movie start times in advertisements and listings in response to complaints from constituents, who objected that movies often begin far later than their listed start times. These delays sometimes led to additional babysitting costs or missed dinner reservations.

However, after hearing feedback from the operators of Connecticut movie theaters, whose numbers have significantly declined since the pandemic, Senate Democrats amended the bill to establish a working group to study the impact of the change and draft recommendations to increase the availability of entertainment options.

“Although moviegoers should have access to accurate information as a matter of consumer fairness, we believe we have accomplished the goal of the original bill by the public attention given to the issue,” Senator Looney said. “That’s why S.B. 797 creates a working group that will explore ways to increase transparency while also bolstering Connecticut’s entertainment landscape and increasing the economic viability of establishments like movie theaters.”

“We know Connecticut is ranked among the best states in the nation to raise a family, and part of maintaining that reputation is ensuring access to affordable, family-friendly entertainment,” said Senator James Maroney, Senate Chair of the General Law Committee. “We believe this working group can identify thoughtful solutions that respect the time and expectations of families while supporting local entertainment venues.”

S.B. 797 tasks the chairs of the legislature’s General Law Committee with leading the working group, which will be expected to provide recommendations by Jan. 1, 2026.

The group will consider the benefits and ramifications of disclosing the actual start time of motion pictures in addition to other means of providing greater transparency. Meanwhile, the working group will develop recommendations to increase family entertainment options through policies like financial incentives including tax credits or the establishment of entertainment districts to ensure that such venues remain economically viable.