Matt Lesser

Lesser Joins Senate Democrats To Announce “A Healthy Connecticut” Agenda

Bill proposals aim to strengthen the state’s health care, environmental, and energy systems

Today, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) joined Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), and other members of the Senate Democratic caucus to announce “A Healthy Connecticut,” the first of four legislative agendas for the 2020 legislative session from Senate Democrats. The series of bills outlined the policy proposals from Senate Democrats to strengthen Connecticut’s health care, environmental and energy systems.

Sen. Lesser discussed two significant health care proposals that would improve public health in Connecticut while helping reduce costs for thousands of residents: the reduction and limiting of prescription drug costs, and to increase the age limit for an individual to stay on a parent’s health insurance for dental and eye care to 26, matching the Affordable Care Act’s requirement on general health insurance.

“When you look around the state of Connecticut and hear from families, you hear they are dealing with massive increases in the cost of healthcare. Small businesses are being especially affected, and even those folks who do have insurance, thanks to high deductibles and other restrictions, find their care out of reach,” said Sen. Lesser. “Over the last several months, I have been working with my co-chair on the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, State Rep. Sean Scanlon, as well as ranking member Kevin Kelly of the Governor’s Office, hoping to bring forward broad areas of consensus where reform is possible and we can lower costs for families across the state.”

“The most significant driver in the cost of health care is the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs,” Sen. Lesser said. “We will look to roll out a number of reforms, including reforms that Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, has been pushing across the border in Massachusetts. There’s no reason people should be paying the highest prescription drug costs in the world, and while as other states move to tackle this crisis, we should not as well. Additionally, we are consdiering a public health measure allowing people on parents’ vision and dental plans to stay on insurance until the age of 26. This is something we were looking at last year. It ran out of time, but we’re confident that we can make that happen this legislative session.”

Additional legislative proposals in the “A Healthy Connecticut” agenda discussed today included:

HEALTH CARE

Capping Insulin Costs and Providing Emergency Insulin
To cap exorbitant insulin costs and provide patients accessibility to emergency insulin supplies.

Prescription Drug Cost Controls
To reduce and limit prescription drug costs.

Expanding Patients’ Rights
To allow patients an opportunity to tell their own “story” to insurance companies when a new medicine or test is ordered by the doctor. This can prevent frustrating and unnecessary denials as well as provide timely medical care.

Expanding Dental & Eye Insurance to Age 26
To expand the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that those under 26 remain on their parent’s health insurance for dental and eye insurance.

Public Option
To create a public option for businesses and residents to buy-in to a state public health care plan.

Protecting the Affordable Care Act
To protect health care for Connecticut residents considering the Federal Government’s continuous attempts to change and dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Preventing Unnecessary Utility Shut-Offs
To hold utility companies responsible and provide customers with the necessary information to avoid unnecessary utility shut-offs.

Protecting Water from Lead & Harmful PFAS
To help protect Connecticut’s public drinking water supplies from PFAS chemicals and lead.

Read background information on proposed legislation here.