Health care

(April 11, 2008) Nearly two-thirds of Connecticut residents are covered by health insurance through their employers, and the vast majority of them are satisfied with this system. Still, there is much to be done to improve it.

On the other hand, some want to replace our employer-based health insurance with a tax-funded, government-run system. But such a system would be financially unsustainable, unable to continue providing the kind of groundbreaking innovations in medical care people have come to depend on, and could lead to the rationing of health care — and an exodus of doctors from the state.

Positive reforms
HB-5710 helps by giving municipalities the opportunity to reduce and contain their health care costs and property taxes by collaborating in the purchase of health insurance. This proposal also enables municipalities to craft their benefit levels and plan designs to best suit their employees’ and municipal budgets. Employers shoulder a significant portion of the property tax burden in the cities and towns in which they are located and health care costs are major cost drivers in property taxes. This proposal would benefit local governments and private-sector employers.

HB-5721 helps by making health care more accessible through addressing its high cost — the core reason why health care is so difficult to maintain. This bill offers relief from the high cost of health care by allowing for the sale of plans with fewer government mandated coverages, requiring a cost-benefit analysis of existing mandates and allowing certain business tax credits for providing health insurance.

Government-run system
HB-5536 takes a step toward government-run, taxpayer-funded health care in Connecticut by expanding the expensive health care plan for state employees to municipalities and small employers. However, it exempts the plan from operating within Connecticut’s protective health insurance laws, and locks-in participating municipalities and small businesses for three-year-long commitments.

Adds more mandates
SB-280, SB-478 and HB- 5696 increase health care costs by either adding another coverage mandate to all state-regulated health insurance policies or prohibiting copayments for preventive-care services. Connecticut ranks near the top of all states in terms of overall number of mandates.