HARTFORD, Conn. — Senate Republicans announced a new plan Thursday to make health care more affordable in Connecticut.
They say this set of legislative proposals is aimed at lowering costs in the state, a bipartisan effort in the state legislature.
“This is a simple, straightforward and reasonable approach to solving problems that every family faces almost on a daily basis,” said Senate minority leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford).
Republicans and Democrats on the Insurance Committee said there’s agreement on the need to make health care more affordable for residents, but possible division on the best way to actually accomplish that.
“There's hardly anyone in the state, outside of the insurance industry perhaps… that you will get any disagreement that we need to bring the cost of insurance and the cost of health care and the cost of prescriptions down,” Sen. Saud Anwar (D-East Hartford) said.
“We have an unaffordable Connecticut and health insurance costs that have risen in such double-digit numbers in the past number of years consistently is truly unaffordable,” said Sen. Tony Hwang, (R-Fairfield). “Senate Republicans have solutions.”
Republicans said these solutions focus on transparency and accountability.
They include implementing a state-based reinsurance program, addressing anti-consumer practices, maximizing state purchasing pools to reduce prescription costs, eliminating a tax on health insurance policies and more.
“While the state budget is on firm fiscal footing, the Connecticut family's budget isn't and we need to help them have the same type of relief in their budget as the state has in its,” Kelly added.
Some Democrats agree with the idea of using the state’s surplus to boost struggling families, but they said their priority is long-term solutions.
“From the healthcare perspective, we need help long term,” continued Anwar. “To us, we cannot just have a good budget this year and say we have arrived and take care of the healthcare needs for this year and say we have arrived. It has to be sustainable.”
Going forward, these lawmakers are all open to, and ready for, bipartisan discussions.
“We've had conversations with the majority, and we'd like to see them continue on we hope that it will be fruitful by the end of the session,” said Kelly.
Republicans added these proposals are split up into multiple bills this session.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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