House Bill 5536 (CT Partnership Bill) Being Threatened:
Our state legislators recently passed landmark health care legislation known as the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership, HB 5536, by strong margins in both the House and Senate. This legislation would allow municipalities, nonprofit groups and small businesses to voluntarily join the state's health care pool, using the principle of bulk purchasing to reduce the skyrocketing costs for health care.
The insurance industry is opposed to the concept because they fear increased competition and have pressured Governor Rell to threaten a veto of the bill thereby blocking consumers from benefiting from more choices, healthy competition, and cost savings.
The CT Citizen Action Group (CCAG) has been hosting press conferences, calling our members, and writing letters to the editor in an effort to get Governor Rell to sign this bill, but we need you to call Governor Rell Now and tell her that the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership is good for the state, good for our communities, and good for us as taxpayers. Ask her to stand up for us and sign the bill.
Brief Summary of 5526
By opening the State employee pool and allowing Municipal employees to join voluntarily, we will be able to reduce costs to municipalities and increase benefits for employees.
Municipal employees will be able to take advantage of the increased bargaining power and reduced administrative costs associated with a larger pool. Municipalities will see savings that can be used locally and may offset property tax increases.
Key Points
- Participation Will Be Voluntary
- In similar legislation last year, mandatory participation was considered as an option to guard against adverse selection and to ensure that an adequate number of municipalities would join. In the current proposal, these concerns will now be addressed by establishing a committee that will monitor and have authority over participation in the pool.
CALL GOVERNOR RELL TODAY:
Ask Governor Rell to Office of Governor M. Jodi Rell --- office closes at 5pm
(860) 566-4840 or (800) 406-1527
Tell them , That you support HB 5536, AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE CONNECTICUT HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIP, and that Connecticut needs Governor Rell to sign this bill into law to open up more health care choices to businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits.
