|
October 2007 — Vol. 85, No. 8
CAPITOL REPORTER
State health reform group
a cause for concern
At federal level, Lieberman reaching out to all stakeholders
Related article:
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman has asked CBIA and other stakeholders in health care reform to participate in a forum at which various reform approaches will be discussed. He said the group’s suggestions will help him craft legislation he plans to introduce in the Senate.
“Joe Lieberman is reaching out to the business community and other health care stakeholders, and asking, ‘What suggestions do you have for reforming our country’s health care system?’” says Bonnie Stewart, CBIA’s vice president for government affairs. “That’s a balanced way to go about it,” she says.
CBIA, however, is less confident about the direction a new state health care reform panel might take. “We are concerned that some members of the HealthFirst Connecticut Authority will recommend that the state replace our current employer-sponsored system with a government-run, single-payer system,” says Eric George, a CBIA associate counsel who lobbies on health care issues.
“We understand there are problems with our current system,” adds Stewart. “But a government-run system is not the answer. It will not reduce costs, which are the biggest problem affecting access to care. CBIA believes that any health reform effort should be a comprehensive plan to control costs and expand access to quality, employer-based health benefits.”
A single-payer system is just one of several alternatives, including building on our employer-sponsored health insurance system, that the HealthFirst Connecticut Authority is supposed to study and report on to the legislature.
Public Act 07-185, as amended by PA 07-2 during the legislature’s June special session, establishes the authority and calls for the governor and legislative leaders to appoint its 10 voting members, as follows (the authority also has several nonvoting members):
| Category |
Appointee |
| Representative of businesses with fewer than 50 employees |
A representative from the advocacy group Voices for Children |
| Representative of larger businesses |
A representative from the Pond House Cafe in Hartford |
| A health care quality or patient safety advocate |
The deputy commissioner of public health |
| A person with community-based health care experience |
A representative from Community Health Center in Manchester |
| A health care provider |
An executive from the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven |
| A representative of labor |
Unknown as of press time |
| A representative of hospitals |
A Stamford Hospital executive |
| A representative of consumers |
A representative of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group |
| A representative of insurers |
The CEO of ConnectiCare |
| Someone with information technology experience |
The lieutenant governor |
|
