With four weeks left in Connecticut’s legislative session, health equity advocates are pushing state lawmakers to pass health equity bills, including one that would protect low-income residents from hospital debt.
“In the state of Connecticut, we are the wealthiest and the healthiest. However, if we dig deep, we know that there are some inequities that are in place,” said Ayesha Clarke, chief executive of Health Equity Solutions.
The state can afford to increase hospital reimbursements for uncompensated care in the wake of anticipated cutbacks to federal funding, particularly for undocumented residents, she said at a media briefing at the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford on Monday.
“This year we are looking at legislation to address some of those changes in order to ensure that everyone has their opportunity to be as healthy as they possibly can,” Clarke said.
The bill is a priority for Senate Democrats, said Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), co-chair of the Human Services Committee.
“We are looking to create a basic health plan to ensure that low-income residents can get the care that they need. And we are making sure that medical debt isn’t a barrier for folks accessing the care that they need,’ said Lesser, who is leading the push to pass the bill.
The state’s legislative session ends on May 6.
