HARTFORD – Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk), and members of the Senate Democratic caucus issued a letter to Governor Ned Lamont regarding health care costs associated with COVID-19.
The caucus is asking Governor Lamont to issue a bulletin that would waive deductibles, cost sharing and copays for Connecticut residents associated with testing for COVID-19. Without affordable public health options, residents may not seek treatment and therefore risk exposing themselves, or others, to COVID-19.
Full Text of Letter
Dear Honorable Ned Lamont,
As COVID-19 continues to spread within and across the United States, protecting Connecticut residents and ensuring they have access to adequate testing and treatment should be our foremost public health priority.
However, insurance costs and the prospect of large health care bills can deter people from taking the very precautions advocated for by federal, state, and local governments. We have seen stories from around the country of patients undergoing testing for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms only to later be hit with large bills, sometimes in the thousands of dollars. As news of these experiences spread, it is imperative that Connecticut state government reassure our residents that they can receive proper health care without the prospect of dire financial repercussions.
We urge you to issue a bulletin that would waive deductibles, cost sharing and copays for Connecticut residents associated with testing for COVID-19. Without affordable public health options, residents may not seek treatment and therefore risk exposing themselves, or others, to COVID-19.
Other states, including New York, have already taken this important step.
We look forward to working with you as this situation unfolds.