Matt Lesser

Sen. Lesser Releases Statement on Forum
About Rising Cost of Health Care

Extension of exemption on gas tax, free bus fare; increased funding for pandemic worker bonuses, heating oil assistance

Today, State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), Co-Chair of the Insurance & Real Estate Committee, released the following statement after today’s informational session on factors contributing to the rising cost of health care and health insurance premiums. The forum was jointly held by the Connecticut Insurance Department, the Office of The Healthcare Advocate, and the Office of Health Strategy.

“It’s no secret that health care is unaffordable and that the health care industry is not meeting the needs of Connecticut’s families and small businesses. Customers are expected to pay more and more for the same essential health services. It’s leaving parents and seniors to further stretch household budgets and to wait on seeking care, which raises the risk of worse health complications down the road. At the same time, small businesses are struggling with shrinking options from the insurance industry on affordable health care options to extend to their employees,” said Sen. Lesser. “Without reining in costs, we are blocking families across Connecticut from achieving a better quality of life and the ability of businesses to grow,”

“Substantive health care reform is long overdue, and today’s informational session is the start point going into the 2023 legislative session,” continued Sen. Lesser. “I will be working closely with community advocates and stakeholders to tackle issues that are weighing heavily on patients and deliver greater accountability on the insurance industry: addressing high health care costs, bringing down the prices of prescription drugs, the consolidation of hospitals in Connecticut, and the failure of the industry to make affordable options available for small businesses. All of this is necessary to make health care more affordable, accessible, and transparent.”