State’s ailing health-care system (JI LTE)
Published: Monday, June 22, 2009 12:07 PM EDT
President Barack Obama has made health-care reform a centerpiece of his administration, recognizing the urgent need to make health care affordable and accessible as part of an integral plan to restore the nation’s economic health.
The reality is that in the past six years, the cost of health insurance has gone up almost 90 percent, and this is not sustainable for workers or for employers.
In Connecticut, the health-care system is neither healthy nor caring. Costs have skyrocketed and fewer residents have access to quality care. This is a recipe for both deteriorating health for our citizens and economic catastrophe.
The state legislature has recognized the urgent need for health-care reform and has passed two bills that will fix our broken system and put it on the right track. Both await Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s signature. The bills are Connecticut Healthcare Partnership (HB 6582) and SustiNet (HB 6600).
The Connecticut Healthcare Partnership opens up the state employee health insurance pool to municipalities to enroll voluntarily and take advantage of the increased bargaining power and reduced administrative costs associated with a large pool.
This bill would provide necessary relief to our municipalities by providing them with an opportunity to save money without jeopardizing quality. Putting municipal employees in the state employee insurance pool could potentially save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
SustiNet is a common-sense approach moving Connecticut forward on health care. The bill would put Connecticut ahead of the curve in tackling the three key health-care challenges: controlling cost, expanding access, and improving health. In fact, the bill is a blueprint toward achieving universal health care.
Let’s not squander the opportunity at hand. Rell should do her part to fix a broken health-care system by signing these two bills into law.
Thomas Stough
Manchester
The writer is a Manchester school custodian and president of AFSCME Local 991, representing Manchester town and Board of Education employees.
Copyright © 2009 – Journal Inquirer
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