REP. WRIGHT WELCOMES INSURANCE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIP BILL
Bill Saves Money For Businesses, Municipalities And Increases Health Care Access And Affordability
State Representative Christopher Wright (D-Bristol) says municipalities like Bristol, small businesses and the state can achieve significant cost savings if the Healthcare Partnership bill approved by the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee becomes law.
HB 6308, An Act Establishing The Connecticut Healthcare Partnership, would allow nonstate public employers, municipal-related employers, small business employers and nonprofit employers to join the state employee health plan.
“If the bill becomes law, the measure will provide families and individual workers with the same quality healthcare that state employees have and at an affordable price,” Rep. Wright said. “Participation would be voluntary. Each municipality, small business or nonprofit employer will be able to consider joining the partnership to see if it benefits them and then act accordingly.”
Rep. Wright pointed out that the Healthcare Partnership bill is similar to a drug prescription pooling bill that became law last year and is being considered by several municipalities.
The Healthcare Partnership bill goes next to the Labor and Public Employees Committee for consideration.
Rep. Wright serves on the Housing, Environment and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committees.
*****
6 comments:
Good work Chris.
This bill has been before the
legislature, under different titles, for a couple of years now.
Vetoded by Rell last year and lost by a sigle vote in an overide effort in the St Senate.
As stated in the article, it is a voluntary program. It is also a common sense effort to cut healthcare costs for those who wish to participate. It will require a realativly small investment to implement and can save municipalities, small buisness and non-profits.
You can be sure that CBIA, who have their own insurance scheme which they make hansome prifit from, the Chamber and insurance brokers will be out in force against this legislation.
Our local government leaders should be promoting this legislation not only because it can save taxpayer money but also by providing potential savings and or better health coverage for our nonprofits and small buisness folks.
Any minute now we're gonna hear from the GOP that this will "kill jobs". Connecticut needs to be more business friendly, but not on the backs of the poor and the uninsured. The GOP need to wake up and realize that they work for us - the people - and not the health insurance industry.
stevie ..... isn't it about time to change the name of this blog ???? May I suggest .... BristolPoliticiansprivateblog.com
As a long time capitol watcher I still don’t understand two things.
First, if the taxpayers can no longer afford to pay for this gold plated health insurance for public workers, how can small business owners and not-for-profits ever afford it for their own employees?
Second, why does the prevailing notion remain that if you build a bigger group, you get a lower premium? The fact is that low deducible policies have far higher utilization rates than do policies where every trip to the doctor or pharmacy takes a few bucks out the family budget.
As someone who operates a non-profit, I have no problem with this bill being passed. But I believe that the premiums for this kind of coverage will be prohibitive for municipalities, small business owners and non-profits. If I’m wrong and people do flock to it, there will be no premium reductions for public or private employers.
Jim,Craig: I concur completely.Jim raised an important aspect,namely the program is voluntary.I also agree we will be hearing from the CBIA any day now.
If I made springs and belonged to one of the strongest "Spring making Unions" in the country and over the course or time we bargained our pay and benefits to be so mutually expensive that we could no longer compete in the market place and our buyers went elsewhere for less expensive springs, I would absolutely have no problem with that. Now use that same philosophy in a public sector union and this is where the argument comes in. While there are many, many good public sector union employees there are many that are not worthy of having thier jobs, do not do thier jobs or figure out some way of cheating the system. As a taxpayer, I can't go shopping for a "cheaper spring" (I.E. a better teacher or school system) because we are held hostage. Public sector employees are taxpayers because of the taxpayers, not the other way around. Why not spend the money and census every taxpayer in this town and say we'll give you the average median salary and benefits plus 15%. Christ getting them to co-pay even close to what the norm is like pulling teeth. The union needs to be broken and it needs to be broke now. They are raping thier own members for the benefit of themselves. Oh and as far as the republicans are concerned, both parties are at fault. If the party that promised the benefits (traditionally democrats) didn't keep kicking the can down the road and put the money away while they had it, it would be there for them. But, the union bosses tell the lemmings what lever to pull and that is why nothing will ever change. Hell, we already work till the middle of May to pay our Federal , State and local taxes and we are 14 trillion in the hole and taxes are going up yet again in this wonderful state.
Post a Comment