Comptroller Kevin Lembo Archive > News
COMPTROLLER LEMBO'S STATEMENT ON LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A PUBLIC HEALTH CARE OPTION THROUGH THE STATE HEALTH PLANComptroller Kevin Lembo announced his support today for legislation to enable private-sector employees to enroll in the state employee health insurance plan, providing financial relief to Connecticut businesses and high-quality affordable health care to working families.
State Sen. Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) has proposed a public health care option bill that the state legislature's Insurance Committee has agreed today to pursue. This bill, together with proposals from other members, lays the groundwork for an important discussion this year, Lembo said.
Lembo, as administrator of the state health plan, reinforced his long-standing position that providing a state public option has the potential to benefit everyone. This legislation can ultimately lower health care costs for the state, by expanding the state's purchasing power, and make Connecticut a more affordable and attractive place to do business because health care will be higher quality and less expensive for businesses to offer to employees.
"It’s time to provide financial relief to Connecticut businesses and high-quality affordable health care to all working families," Lembo said. “This legislation – by offering the state's workforce and businesses the best health care for the best price – positions Connecticut as a destination for economic development and reinforces our state's values. I have spent the better part of my life, as the state's first Healthcare Advocate and decades before that, fighting for people who have been denied access to care. Connecticut wants more for its private employers and workers, and I stand ready to support those initiatives in any way possible."
***END***
***END***