Universal Health Care-Unfortunately, with the end of the 2007 legislative session having gone by, it appears that the General Assembly’s legislative leader’s commitment to universal health care was closer to an empty promise than a real desire to bring health security to CT’s families. The giant insurance companies were successful in their efforts to stop real health care reform by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbying despite a December poll that showed 84% of Connecticut voters favored universal health care.

The bottom line is that we saw some progress but much more remains to be done. Passed legislation made enhancements to the state’s HUSKY Plan, which is a state subsidized health insurance program to help Connecticut families obtain and afford coverage. The bill includes an expansion of eligibility to children in families with income up to 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) in HUSKY B (up from 300% of FPL), and expansion of parent eligibility of HUSKY A insured children who have incomes up to 185% of the FPL (up from 150%).

Other improvements to the HUSKY program include presumptive eligibility and expedited enrollment for uninsured newborns, and pregnant women, with no premiums due for the child’s first two months of life. We also saw much needed increases in Medicaid provider rates which will likely increase the accessibility of theses services to residents. The increases were; Physicians up 50%, Clinics up 40%, Dental and Vision up 40% and Hospitals up 9%.