State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), advocates for the enactment of a public option for health insurance during a press conference in the Legislative Office Building. (Thursday, March 7, 2019)
HARTFORD, CT – Today, the co-chairs of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) and State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford), were joined by Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin) and State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), to announce legislation which will create a public option for health insurance for Connecticut families, small businesses and nonprofits. State Comptroller Kevin Lembo and the Connecticut State Medical Society also gave their support for the public option. Legislators agree the time is now for a public option for health insurance.
“Ten years after Joe Lieberman killed the public option, Ned Lamont and the General Assembly can finally deliver on the promise of real reform. Connecticut’s public option will be the most transformative change to healthcare in years,” said Sen. Lesser, Insurance and Real Estate Committee co-chair. “We are stepping up to give small businesses, nonprofits and individuals real choice, real competition and lower prices. With healthcare costs spiraling out of control, too many families find health care unaffordable or are stuck with deductibles that keep care out of reach. If that means taking on special interests, game on. Here’s what we can’t afford to do: wait for Washington to get its act together.”
“The rising cost of health care is crushing Connecticut’s small businesses and middle class. They need relief and they need it now,” said Rep. Scanlon, Insurance and Real Estate Committee co-chair. “By creating a public option for health insurance, we can give the people of Connecticut the option of a quality, affordable and predictably priced health insurance plan.”
“A public option health plan would be more efficient than the for profit industry,” said Sen. Looney. “Federally, Medicare spends a much lower percentage on administrative costs than the private insurers do. Creating a public option would allow our state to see whether the state government can provide better care at a lower cost. Connecticut citizens would be able to decide whether to purchase their health coverage from the state or from a private health carrier. I believe this is a choice our constituents should have.”
“The reality is that we don’t have a healthcare system, we have a healthcare industry,” said Speaker Aresimowicz. “Improving access to quality, affordable healthcare for Connecticut residents is an ongoing priority for Democrats, because we see healthcare as a right for people not a privilege. Offering a state employee type healthcare plan that leverages government purchasing power will provide real help to the thousands of families and small businesses that are struggling to keep up with ever rising costs.”
“Somewhere in Connecticut, there’s a young worker with a big idea that they want to chase – something that could change their world or ours – but for now, they’re forced into a cubicle because it may be their only way to access health care,” said State Comptroller Lembo, who administers the state health plan on behalf of approximately 200,000 public employees, retirees and their dependents. “As the state’s former healthcare advocate, I’ve seen this story play out a time or two – dreams set aside and lives put on hold indefinitely and squandered because our health care market is broken. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to get the best health care at the best price through the state plan, but none of us entered public service to say ‘I’ve got mine.’ This legislation would allow us to extend the successes of the state plan – high-quality health care coverage at the best price – to more Connecticut residents, beginning with small businesses and their employees. How can Connecticut possibly grow its economy when it can’t attract workers with affordable quality health care options? And how can our workforce possibly be productive when employees have no clue how they or their family will make ends meet if they face illness or injury. This legislation would make certain that no opportunities are left on the table.”
“The Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) is pleased to support the concept of HB 7267 and commend Sen. Lesser and Rep. Scanlon for introducing this legislation,” said Claudia Gruss, MD, President of CSMS. “CSMS supports the concept of pooling in the purchase of health insurance as a way to provide greater access, affordability, and quality of health insurance for patients. Opening up options for access to affordable health insurance policies at the individual and small group level will only help to eliminate the use of High Deductible health plans as well as decrease limited and tiered networks.”
Legislators outlined two bills, a House bill and companion Senate legislation which will establish a public option. The first, House Bill 7267, takes a three-pronged approach which will roll out a public option over the course of three years. The expectation for the fiscal note of this bill is under $1 million. The second, Senate Bill 134, will open the state employee health plan to small business employees.
Plan design benefits: