Rell should do her part to fix health care (NH Register LTE)
http://nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/01/opinion/doc4a4ae0ee2fd72320617983.txt
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
President Barack Obama recognizes the urgent need to make health care affordable and accessible as an integral part of a plan to restore economic health.
In the last 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 good care. This is a recipe for both deteriorating health for 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. Both await the Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s signature. The bills are Connecticut Healthcare Partnership and Sustinet.
The Connecticut Healthcare Partnership opens 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 relief to our municipalities by providing an opportunity to save money without jeopardizing quality. Putting municipal employees in the state employee insurance pool could 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. Rell should do her part to fix a broken health care system by signing these two bills.
Robert Montuori
West Haven
Editor’s note: Robert Montuori is president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 287, which represents New Haven school custodial and maintenance employees.
URL: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/01/opinion/doc4a4ae0ee2fd72320617983.prt
© 2009 nhregister.com, a Journal Register Property
Join our Facebook Cause. Fight the Lies.