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2019 VICTORIES AND MORE WORK TO DO ON HEALTH CARE
HEALTHCARE
Passed in the Budget, HUSKY A. The budget expanded the HUSKY A Medicaid program for working poor adults to serve roughly 4,000 more people each year. It includes rate increases for nursing homes which are key to averting strikes this summer at 25 facilities.
MORE WORK TO DO ON HEALTH CARE
We had high hopes at the start of the legislative session that Connecticut would be the first state in the nation to pass a public option. When those hopes were dashed there was still hope that some type of reform might pass. HB 7367 would have allowed for the importation of much lower priced prescription drugs from Canada.
While the bill passed in the House, it was not called in the Senate and it died on that floor. We will continue to pursue this issue in the next legislative session and are now turning our organizing efforts to federal action for quality, affordable health care and lower prescription drug prices.
ACTIONS & UPDATES ON HEALTHCARE- MAY 31, 2019
Husky A Restoration- Legislative Leaders and the Governor have negotiated a budget deal that includes an intention to restore HUSKY A coverage for about 4,000 of the 11,000 low income parents cut off in the budget in 2015. We applaud those who have taken the lead to go this far, but a full restoration to 201% of the poverty level is needed.
Lowering Prescription Drug Prices- Connecticut families need relief from the high cost of prescription drugs. Drugs sold in the United States can be up to TEN times more expensive than the same products sold in Canada. Canadian prescription drugs are safe and the United States is already the world's largest importer of pharmaceuticals. For more information see the HUSKY A information sheet here. CT Voices for Children Fact Sheet here.
Lowering Prescription Drug Prices: HB 7267 would enable Connecticut to import drugs from Canada. More and more states are passing drug importation laws including Colorado, Florida and Vermont.
ACTION! Please contact House leaders NOW and ask them to:
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz - 860-240-8500
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter - 860-240-8585
SB 1- Implementing Paid Family Leave was approved last week by the Connecticut Senate. The bill awaits a House vote and may be voted on TODAY!
ACTION! Contact your State Rep. to tell them to vote YES on SB 1.
SB 859 AAC Community Health Workers. This bill passed out of the Public Health Committee and Senate unanimously. The bill established a certification program for community health workers and is vital to the care and coordination for residents statewide. The fiscal note shows the bill will generate some revenue and recent reports show minimal costs associated with the bill. ACTION! Contact your State Rep. to support SB 859.
HEALTHCARE
Passed in the Budget, HUSKY A. The budget expanded the HUSKY A Medicaid program for working poor adults to serve roughly 4,000 more people each year. It includes rate increases for nursing homes which are key to averting strikes this summer at 25 facilities.
MORE WORK TO DO ON HEALTH CARE
We had high hopes at the start of the legislative session that Connecticut would be the first state in the nation to pass a public option. When those hopes were dashed there was still hope that some type of reform might pass. HB 7367 would have allowed for the importation of much lower priced prescription drugs from Canada.
While the bill passed in the House, it was not called in the Senate and it died on that floor. We will continue to pursue this issue in the next legislative session and are now turning our organizing efforts to federal action for quality, affordable health care and lower prescription drug prices.
ACTIONS & UPDATES ON HEALTHCARE- MAY 31, 2019
Husky A Restoration- Legislative Leaders and the Governor have negotiated a budget deal that includes an intention to restore HUSKY A coverage for about 4,000 of the 11,000 low income parents cut off in the budget in 2015. We applaud those who have taken the lead to go this far, but a full restoration to 201% of the poverty level is needed.
Lowering Prescription Drug Prices- Connecticut families need relief from the high cost of prescription drugs. Drugs sold in the United States can be up to TEN times more expensive than the same products sold in Canada. Canadian prescription drugs are safe and the United States is already the world's largest importer of pharmaceuticals. For more information see the HUSKY A information sheet here. CT Voices for Children Fact Sheet here.
Lowering Prescription Drug Prices: HB 7267 would enable Connecticut to import drugs from Canada. More and more states are passing drug importation laws including Colorado, Florida and Vermont.
ACTION! Please contact House leaders NOW and ask them to:
- Fully restore HUSKY A coverage to parents and caregivers
- Pass HB 7267 TODAY to allow the importation of prescription drugs from Canada to Connecticut
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz - 860-240-8500
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter - 860-240-8585
SB 1- Implementing Paid Family Leave was approved last week by the Connecticut Senate. The bill awaits a House vote and may be voted on TODAY!
ACTION! Contact your State Rep. to tell them to vote YES on SB 1.
SB 859 AAC Community Health Workers. This bill passed out of the Public Health Committee and Senate unanimously. The bill established a certification program for community health workers and is vital to the care and coordination for residents statewide. The fiscal note shows the bill will generate some revenue and recent reports show minimal costs associated with the bill. ACTION! Contact your State Rep. to support SB 859.
Healthcare Solutions Under Consideration in 2019
HB 7267 AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC OPTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE IN CONNECTICUT.
To: Establish the ConnectHealth Program that will utilize purchasing power of the state to offer a quality health plan for small businesses by January of 2020, to individuals not eligible for subsidies by Fall of 2020, and to establish a planning process to explore a larger public option for 2021.
UPDATE! The bills to create new health insurance choices for small businesses, nonprofits and individuals, a CT public option (HB 7267 and SB 134), was passed by the Appropriations Committee and is now going to the House/Senate for action. More info here.
SB 902 AN ACT CONCERNING HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS.
To require certain high deductible health plans, to the maximum extent permitted by federal law, to: (1) Apply annual deductibles on a calendar year basis; (2) prorate annual deductibles to reflect (A) the portion of the calendar year during which coverage under such plans is effective, and (B) a deduction for payments made by individuals covered under such plans while such individuals were covered under other high deductible health plans during such year; (3) provide deductions for in-network and out-of-network covered benefits; and (4) not apply (A) increased annual deductibles solely because such plans provide family coverage, or (B) annual deductibles that vary solely due to family size.
HB 7174 AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
To: (1) Establish the "Connecticut Prescription Drug Program" and the "Connecticut prescription drug program account"; (2) require pharmaceutical manufacturers to send notice to the Insurance Commissioner regarding "pay-for-delay" agreements, and require health carriers and pharmacy benefits managers to reduce the cost of brand name prescription drugs that are the subject of such agreements; (3) require the Comptroller to offer qualified private employers the option to purchase prescription drugs for their employees, employees' dependents and retirees through the Comptroller's purchasing authority; (4) prohibit any health carrier or pharmacy benefits manager from recouping any portion of a claim that such carrier or manager has paid to a pharmacy or pharmacist; and (5) establish a task force to study drug reimportation.
This bill was voted out of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and is awaiting action on the floor to refer it out to any additional Committees,
HB 7164 AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUMAN SERVICES.
The Governor's budget recommendations in terms of health care does not include restoring HUSKY eligibility for parents up to 201% of the federal poverty level.
HB 7267 AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC OPTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE IN CONNECTICUT.
To: Establish the ConnectHealth Program that will utilize purchasing power of the state to offer a quality health plan for small businesses by January of 2020, to individuals not eligible for subsidies by Fall of 2020, and to establish a planning process to explore a larger public option for 2021.
UPDATE! The bills to create new health insurance choices for small businesses, nonprofits and individuals, a CT public option (HB 7267 and SB 134), was passed by the Appropriations Committee and is now going to the House/Senate for action. More info here.
SB 902 AN ACT CONCERNING HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS.
To require certain high deductible health plans, to the maximum extent permitted by federal law, to: (1) Apply annual deductibles on a calendar year basis; (2) prorate annual deductibles to reflect (A) the portion of the calendar year during which coverage under such plans is effective, and (B) a deduction for payments made by individuals covered under such plans while such individuals were covered under other high deductible health plans during such year; (3) provide deductions for in-network and out-of-network covered benefits; and (4) not apply (A) increased annual deductibles solely because such plans provide family coverage, or (B) annual deductibles that vary solely due to family size.
HB 7174 AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
To: (1) Establish the "Connecticut Prescription Drug Program" and the "Connecticut prescription drug program account"; (2) require pharmaceutical manufacturers to send notice to the Insurance Commissioner regarding "pay-for-delay" agreements, and require health carriers and pharmacy benefits managers to reduce the cost of brand name prescription drugs that are the subject of such agreements; (3) require the Comptroller to offer qualified private employers the option to purchase prescription drugs for their employees, employees' dependents and retirees through the Comptroller's purchasing authority; (4) prohibit any health carrier or pharmacy benefits manager from recouping any portion of a claim that such carrier or manager has paid to a pharmacy or pharmacist; and (5) establish a task force to study drug reimportation.
This bill was voted out of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and is awaiting action on the floor to refer it out to any additional Committees,
HB 7164 AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUMAN SERVICES.
The Governor's budget recommendations in terms of health care does not include restoring HUSKY eligibility for parents up to 201% of the federal poverty level.