Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care   

John R. Battista, M.D. and Justine A. McCabe, Ph.D.

Connecticut Coalition For Universal Health Care

January 9, 2001

Provide comprehensive health care insurance for all Connecticut residents

Insure payment for all health care services, medications, and medical equipment prescribed by a licensed health care giver without insurer pre-approval.

Allow free choice of any licensed health care giver.

Prospective studies from the Connecticut Office of Health Care Access, other states, and the federal government predict savings of up to 10% of current expenses. Comparisons with other industrialized countries utilizing the insurance system created by this Act reveal these predicted savings to be realistic and conservative. No studies predict increased costs.

Savings would result primarily from decreased administrative expenses, and purchasing medications and durable medical equipment in bulk. Additional savings may result from controlling the cost of medical procedures, emphasizing preventive and primary care, coordinating medical services, establishing global budgets for health care organizations, as well as educating and reviewing providers in terms of quality assurance guidelines. These savings would be partially offset by increased demand for medical services which would result from covering the uninsured and expanding insured medical services.

The Act mandates that any increases in budget must be less than the percent increase in the US health care costs for the preceding year following an initial adjustment period.

The State and federal governments would continue to pay at the current rate for those individuals eligible for state and federal programs.

Excise taxes on activities detrimental to health, such as cigarette smoking, up to the amount they contribute to health care costs.

All employers would pay a health care payroll premium for each employee. Large employers would pay at a rate equal to or less than their current average rate. Smaller employers would pay at a progressively lower rate depending on the number of their employees.

The health care payroll premium for employed individuals would be equal to or less than the amount of money they would pay for comparable benefits under current employer health insurance programs.

The health care premiums of the average self employed individual would be equal to or less than the price of comparable private insurance. These premiums would be collected through the state income tax.

There would be no health care taxes on families earning less than 185% of the federal poverty guidelines.

The health care premiums of the average Medicare recipient would be equal to or less than the cost of Medigap insurance to cover those benefits included in this act, not covered under Medicare. These premiums would be collected through the state income tax.

A Connecticut Health Care Insurance Trust would pay all insurance claims. Claim payment costs would be limited to 3% of revenues.

State and federal health insurance programs for Connecticut residents would be consolidated into the Trust.

The Trust would be governed by a board of health care givers, health care advocates, health care organizations, tax payer groups, health care experts and public officials, reportable to state government.

Administration of the Trust would be the responsibility of a physician Executive Director who would administer five divisions of the trust concerned with 1) payments, 2) planning, research and development, 3) quality assurance, 4) public health education, and 5) direct health care services assumed from state health care programs.

The activities of the trust would be advised by a health care givers advisory council, a health care organizations advisory council, and a health care consumers advisory council.

Reimbursement rates for health care procedures and hospital expenses would be decided by the Trust in consultation with the health care consumer, health care givers and health care organizations advisory council. The income of health care givers would be sustained.

The Trust would be a quasi-public agency, independent of state government, yet accountable to it.

Employed individuals and their families would become eligible with their first employee and employer payroll premium.

All individuals eligible for state health care programs would be immediately eligible.

Self-employed and federally covered individuals would become eligible with the payment of their Connecticut income tax.