Health care should be affordable for all

Access to affordable health care remains one of the thorniest issues facing the nation and the state, as Legislators in Hartford try to find a way to create and fund a plan, which, at Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s behest, would cover all those uninsured in Connecticut. It’s a worthy goal, and one that’s necessary to a healthy society, but since the governor first presented her idea and plan to create statewide universal health care, some roadblocks have materialized.
The roadblocks were not, however, unexpected. The health-care structure is daunting in its complexity, supported by a very complicated system of charges and reimbursement, resulting in a lot of money changing hands, which those on the receiving end are loathe to lose — $22 billion total health spending in Connecticut alone, according to the Hartford Courant.
Since Hartford is the insurance capital of the nation, it’s a tough sell for Legislators to propose a system that may bypass the insurance industry altogether, that is, the single-pay system. Enhancing the current HUSKY program, which already covers uninsured children in the state, is another option. Legislators have worked to come to a compromise on the health-care bill (Senate Bill 1) that will satisfy enough in the state House and Senate to pass into law.
But the other problem: How to fund it? Gov. Rell’s ambitious education initiative is attracting a good chunk of the money that could have gone to health-care benefit reform on the state level. Legislators have to make some hard choices, as does the governor. Costs for the myriad plans range from $18.9 million up to $100 million annually, with benefits ranging from coverage for infants and expanded Medicaid access to coverage for all uninsured in the state. But the choices can’t be made without finding the money to fund them.
If our Legislators think they’re in a mire trying to figure out an answer to the health-care conundrum, though, they need to remember the mire consumers of medical care, their constituents, can find themselves in as they try to navigate the convoluted and expensive system of benefits and health care. Getting sick without any medical insurance is one of the primary reasons for personal bankruptcies in the United States.
Other states, like California, Massachusetts and Tennessee, have found some creative ways to address, if not solve, this problem. It’s time for Connecticut to address it as well. Even if it’s not easily solved, every step forward to help provide better access to medical benefits and care will help both consumers and the health-care community in the long run.
On Sunday, April 29, there will be a community forum on universal health care at the Congregational Church of Salisbury at 4 p.m. Panelists will be state Sen. Andrew W. Roraback (R-30), state Rep. Roberta B. Willis (D-64) and Juan Figueroa, a representative from the Universal Health Care Foundation. Moderator will be Richard Collins, M.D., of Salisbury. It’s free, open to the public, and will better inform the discussion. It will also be a very good opportunity to connect with your Legislators on the issue of health-care coverage and let them know your opinions on what their next steps should be.