Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07101 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	LCO 1 of 6
	3	+	LCO No. 4856 1 of 6
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7101
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7101
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 4856
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
	15	+
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9	18
10	19		AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO STUDY A HUSKY FOR
11	20		ALL SINGLE-PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.
12	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
13	22		Assembly convened:
14	23
15	24		Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section, "HUSKY 1
16	25		for All Single-Payer Universal Health Care Program" means a single-2
17	26		payer universal health care program open to any state resident that: (1) 3
18	27		Eliminates duplicative health insurance programs and resulting 4
19	28		duplicative costs to the extent permissible under state and federal law; 5
20	29		(2) consolidates oversight, payment and risk under one public or quasi-6
21	30		public entity; (3) eliminates coverage limits and cost-sharing 7
22	31		requirements, including, but not limited to, (A) deductibles, (B) 8
23	32		copayments, and (C) coinsurance; (4) incorporates prescription drug 9
24	33		price controls; and (5) establishes budgets and payment systems for 10
25	34		hospitals for overnight care and a uniform fee schedule for health care 11
26	35		providers not providing overnight care. 12
27	36		(b) There is established a commission to study and make 13
28	37		recommendations concerning establishing a HUSKY for All Single-14
29	38		Payer Universal Health Care Program in the state. The commission may 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 7101
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 4856 2 of 6
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30	45		contract with an independent person or entity for an economic analysis 16
31	46		of establishing such program, provided such person or entity has 17
32	47		completed not less than two such economic analyses of establishing a 18
33		-	single-payer universal health care program on the state or federal level. 19 Substitute Bill No. 7101
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35		-
36		-	LCO 2 of 6
37		-
	48	+	single-payer universal health care program on the state or federal level. 19
38	49		(c) The commission shall be comprised of: 20
39	50		(1) The Commissioner of the Office of Health Strategy, established 21
40	51		pursuant to section 19a-754a of the general statutes, or the 22
41	52		commissioner's designee; 23
42	53		(2) The chief executive officer of the Connecticut Health Insurance 24
43	54		Exchange, established pursuant to section 38a-1081 of the general 25
44	55		statutes, or the chief executive officer's designee; 26
45	56		(3) The chairperson of the Council on Medical Assistance Program 27
46	57		Oversight, established pursuant to section 17b-28 of the general statutes, 28
47	58		or the chairperson's designee; 29
48	59		(4) The Healthcare Advocate, appointed pursuant to section 38a-1042 30
49	60		of the general statutes, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee; 31
50	61		(5) The chairpersons of the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight 32
51	62		Council, established pursuant to section 17a-22j of the general statutes, 33
52	63		or their designees; 34
53	64		(6) The chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General 35
54	65		Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, 36
55	66		insurance, labor and public health, or their designees; 37
56	67		(7) The Insurance Commissioner and the Commissioner of Social 38
57	68		Services, or their designees; 39
58	69		(8) The State Comptroller, or the State Comptroller's designee; 40
59	70		(9) The chief executive officer of an organization representing 41
60	71		hospitals in the state, or the chief executive officer's designee, appointed 42
61		-	by the Commissioner of Health Strategy; 43
62		-	(10) The president of a medical society representing doctors in the 44
63		-	state, or the president's designee, appointed by the Commissioner of 45
64		-	Health Strategy; 46
65		-	(11) Two providers of medical services under the medical assistance 47 Substitute Bill No. 7101
	72	+	Raised Bill No. 7101
66	73
67	74
68		-	LCO 3 of 6
69	75
	76	+	LCO No. 4856 3 of 6
	77	+
	78	+	by the Commissioner of the Office of Health Strategy; 43
	79	+	(10) The president of a medical society representing doctors in the 44
	80	+	state, or the president's designee, appointed by the Commissioner of the 45
	81	+	Office of Health Strategy; 46
	82	+	(11) Two providers of medical services under the medical assistance 47
70	83		program and two persons who receive such services under the program, 48
71	84		appointed by the chairperson of the Council on Medical Assistance 49
72	85		Program Oversight; 50
73	86		(12) One representative each from two patient advocacy 51
74		-	organizations, appointed by the Commissioner of Health Strategy; 52
75		-	(13) Two representatives of organizations representing the private 53
76		-	insurance industry, appointed by the Insurance Commissioner; 54
77		-	(14) Two representatives of labor unions representing employees 55
78		-	who work in health care fields, appointed by the Commissioner of 56
79		-	Health Strategy; 57
80		-	(15) A representative of an organization representing businesses and 58
81		-	industry in the state, appointed by the Commissioner of Health 59
82		-	Strategy; and 60
83		-	(16) Two persons from academia with expertise in economics or 61
84		-	health insurance, or both, appointed by the Commissioner of Health 62
85		-	Strategy, provided such persons shall not be among the independent 63
86		-	persons contracting with the commission to produce an economic 64
87		-	analysis on establishing a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal Health 65
88		-	Care Program. 66
89		-	(d) The commission shall meet not later than thirty days after the 67
90		-	effective date of this section. The Commissioner of Health Strategy, or 68
91		-	the commissioner's designee, shall serve as a chairperson of the 69
92		-	commission and a second chairperson shall be chosen by the 70
93		-	commission from among the members of the commission. The Joint 71
94		-	Committee on Legislative Management shall provide administrative 72
95		-	support to the commission. Any vacancies shall be filled by the 73
96		-	appointing authority. If an appointing authority does not fill a vacancy 74
97		-	within thirty days, the Commissioner of Health Strategy shall fill the 75
98		-	vacancy. 76
99		-	(e) The commission shall study: 77 Substitute Bill No. 7101
	87	+	organizations, appointed by the Commissioner of the Office of Health 52
	88	+	Strategy; 53
	89	+	(13) Two representatives of organizations representing the private 54
	90	+	insurance industry, appointed by the Insurance Commissioner; 55
	91	+	(14) Two representatives of labor unions representing employees 56
	92	+	who work in health care fields, appointed by the Commissioner of the 57
	93	+	Office of Health Strategy; 58
	94	+	(15) A representative of an organization representing businesses and 59
	95	+	industry in the state, appointed by the Commissioner of the Office of 60
	96	+	Health Strategy; and 61
	97	+	(16) Two persons from academia with expertise in economics or 62
	98	+	health insurance, or both, appointed by the Commissioner of the Office 63
	99	+	of Health Strategy, provided such persons shall not be among the 64
	100	+	independent persons contracting with the commission to produce an 65
	101	+	economic analysis on establishing a HUSKY for All Single-Payer 66
	102	+	Universal Health Care Program. 67
	103	+	(d) The commission shall meet not later than thirty days after the 68
	104	+	effective date of this section. The Commissioner of the Office of Health 69
	105	+	Strategy, or the executive director's designee, shall serve as a 70
	106	+	chairperson of the commission and a second chairperson shall be chosen 71
	107	+	Raised Bill No. 7101
100	108
101	109
102		-	LCO 4 of 6
103	110
104		-	(1) Current health care spending, including, but not limited to: (A) 78
105		-	State costs of the state medical assistance program and the state 79
106		-	employee health plan established pursuant to section 5-259 of the 80
107		-	general statutes, (B) state costs of the Connecticut Health Insurance 81
108		-	Exchange, and (C) average individual consumer monthly health care 82
109		-	costs for (i) participation in medical assistance programs requiring cost 83
110		-	sharing by a participant, (ii) premiums for participants in the 84
111		-	Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, (iii) premiums for private 85
112		-	health insurance plans, and (iv) premiums for Medicare supplement 86
113		-	plans, Medicare health maintenance organization plans and Medicare 87
114		-	drug plans. 88
115		-	(2) Sources of current health care financing, including, but not limited 89
116		-	to: (A) Federal cost sharing for the medical assistance program, (B) 90
117		-	employer and employee costs for private health insurance, (C) federal 91
118		-	cost sharing for the Medicare program, and (D) participant cost sharing 92
119		-	under the medical assistance program or the Medicare program. 93
120		-	(3) A financing methodology for a HUSKY for All Single-Payer 94
121		-	Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, whether 95
122		-	such program should be financed, in part, through taxation on 96
123		-	employers and employees. 97
124		-	(4) An economic analysis of establishing a HUSKY for All Single-98
125		-	Payer Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, a 99
126		-	comparison of: (A) State costs for the medical assistance program and 100
127		-	oversight by the Insurance Department of private health care insurance 101
128		-	and state costs under a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal Health 102
129		-	Care Program, (B) consumer costs for private health care insurance and 103
130		-	consumer costs under a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal Health 104
131		-	Care Program, including any costs if the program is covered in part by 105
132		-	taxation of a consumer, (C) employer costs for private health care 106
133		-	insurance and employer costs if a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal 107
134		-	Health Care Program is covered in part by taxation of an employer, and 108
135		-	(D) participant cost sharing for medical assistance programs or 109
136		-	Medicare and costs for such consumers under a HUSKY for All Single-110 Substitute Bill No. 7101
	111	+	LCO No. 4856 4 of 6
	112	+
	113	+	by the commission from among the members of the commission. The 72
	114	+	joint committee on legislative management shall provide administrative 73
	115	+	support to the commission. Any vacancies shall be filled by the 74
	116	+	Commissioner of the Office of Health Strategy or the appointing 75
	117	+	authority. If an appointing authority does not fill a vacancy within thirty 76
	118	+	days, the Commissioner of the Office of Health Strategy shall fill the 77
	119	+	vacancy. 78
	120	+	(e) The commission shall study: 79
	121	+	(1) Current health care spending, including, but not limited to: (A) 80
	122	+	State costs of the state medical assistance program and the state 81
	123	+	employee health plan established pursuant to section 5-259 of the 82
	124	+	general statutes, (B) state costs of the Connecticut Health Insurance 83
	125	+	Exchange, and (C) average individual consumer monthly health care 84
	126	+	costs for (i) participation in medical assistance programs requiring cost 85
	127	+	sharing by a participant, (ii) premiums for participants in the 86
	128	+	Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, (iii) premiums for private 87
	129	+	health insurance plans, and (iv) premiums for Medicare supplement 88
	130	+	plans, Medicare health maintenance organization plans and Medicare 89
	131	+	drug plans. 90
	132	+	(2) Sources of current health care financing, including, but not limited 91
	133	+	to: (A) Federal cost sharing for the medical assistance program, (B) 92
	134	+	employer and employee costs for private health insurance, (C) federal 93
	135	+	cost sharing for the Medicare program, and (D) participant cost sharing 94
	136	+	under the medical assistance program or the Medicare program. 95
	137	+	(3) A financing methodology for a HUSKY for All Single-Payer 96
	138	+	Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, whether 97
	139	+	such program should be financed, in part, through taxation on 98
	140	+	employers and employees. 99
	141	+	(4) An economic analysis of establishing a HUSKY for All Single-100
	142	+	Payer Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, a 101
	143	+	comparison of: (A) State costs for the medical assistance program and 102
	144	+	Raised Bill No. 7101
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138	146
139		-	LCO 5 of 6
140	147
141		-	Payer Universal Health Care Program. 111
142		-	(5) Provider payment rates under the medical assistance program, 112
143		-	Medicare program and the private health insurance market and 113
144		-	recommendations for provider payment rates under a HUSKY for All 114
145		-	Single-Payer Universal Health Care Program. 115
146		-	(6) The number of residents uninsured or underinsured under the 116
147		-	current health care coverage programs and the number of persons 117
148		-	estimated to be uninsured or underinsured under a HUSKY for All 118
149		-	Single-Payer Universal Health Care Program. 119
150		-	(7) What entity, or entities, should oversee a HUSKY for All Single-120
151		-	Payer Universal Health Care Program. 121
152		-	(8) A timeline for adoption of a HUSKY for All Single-Payer 122
153		-	Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, (A) 123
154		-	implementing any financing methodology to fund such program, (B) 124
155		-	eliminating the oversight of any agencies or offices currently overseeing 125
156		-	health care coverage, and (C) creating new oversight entities. 126
157		-	(9) The impact on the labor market of a single-payer universal health 127
158		-	care system that eliminates private insurance and the impact of a system 128
159		-	that allows an employee to retain insurance provided by an employer. 129
160		-	(f) Not later than January 1, 2026, the commission shall report, in 130
161		-	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 131
162		-	on the results of its study and recommendations to the Office of Health 132
163		-	Strategy and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 133
164		-	having cognizance of matters relating to human services, insurance, 134
165		-	labor, public health and finance, revenue and bonding. The commission 135
166		-	shall dissolve on the date such report is submitted or January 1, 2026, 136
167		-	whichever is later. 137
	148	+	LCO No. 4856 5 of 6
	149	+
	150	+	oversight by the Insurance Department of private health care insurance 103
	151	+	and state costs under a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal Health 104
	152	+	Care Program, (B) consumer costs for private health care insurance and 105
	153	+	consumer costs under a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal Health 106
	154	+	Care Program, including any costs if the program is covered in part by 107
	155	+	taxation of a consumer, (C) employer costs for private health care 108
	156	+	insurance and employer costs if a HUSKY for All Single-Payer Universal 109
	157	+	Health Care Program is covered in part by taxation of an employer, and 110
	158	+	(D) participant cost sharing for medical assistance programs or 111
	159	+	Medicare and costs for such consumers under a HUSKY for All Single-112
	160	+	Payer Universal Health Care Program. 113
	161	+	(5) Provider payment rates under the medical assistance program, 114
	162	+	Medicare program and the private health insurance market and 115
	163	+	recommendations for provider payment rates under a HUSKY for All 116
	164	+	Single-Payer Universal Health Care Program. 117
	165	+	(6) The number of residents uninsured or underinsured under the 118
	166	+	current health care coverage programs and the number of persons 119
	167	+	estimated to be uninsured or underinsured under a HUSKY for All 120
	168	+	Single-Payer Universal Health Care Program. 121
	169	+	(7) What entity, or entities, should oversee a HUSKY for All Single-122
	170	+	Payer Universal Health Care Program. 123
	171	+	(8) A timeline for adoption of a HUSKY for All Single-Payer 124
	172	+	Universal Health Care Program, including, but not limited to, (A) 125
	173	+	implementing any financing methodology to fund such program, (B) 126
	174	+	eliminating the oversight of any agencies or offices currently overseeing 127
	175	+	health care coverage, and (C) creating new oversight entities. 128
	176	+	(9) The impact on the labor market of a single-payer universal health 129
	177	+	care system that eliminates private insurance and the impact of a system 130
	178	+	that allows an employee to retain insurance provided by an employer. 131
	179	+	(f) Not later than January 1, 2026, the commission shall report, in 132
	180	+	Raised Bill No. 7101
	181	+
	182	+
	183	+
	184	+	LCO No. 4856 6 of 6
	185	+
	186	+	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 133
	187	+	on the results of its study and recommendations to the Office of Health 134
	188	+	Strategy and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 135
	189	+	having cognizance of matters relating to human services, insurance, 136
	190	+	labor, public health and finance, revenue and bonding. The commission 137
	191	+	shall dissolve on the date such report is submitted or January 1, 2026, 138
	192	+	whichever is later. 139
168	193		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
169	194		sections:
170	195
171		-	Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section ~~Substitute Bill No. 7101~~
	196	+	Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
172	197
	198	+	Statement of Purpose:
	199	+	To establish a commission to conduct an economic analysis of
	200	+	establishing a universal health care program open to all in the state.
173	201
174		-	LCO 6 of 6
175		-
176		-
177		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
178		-	In Subsec. (c)(9), (10), (12), (14), (15) and (16) and Subsec. (d),
179		-	"Commissioner of the Office Health Strategy" was changed to
180		-	"Commissioner of Health Strategy" for statutory consistency, and in
181		-	Subsec. (d), "executive director's" was changed to "commissioner's" and
182		-	"the Commissioner of the Office of Health Strategy or the appointing
183		-	authority" was changed to "the appointing authority" for clarity.
184		-
185		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	202	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	203	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	204	+	underlined.]
186	205