Democratic state lawmakers in Connecticut say they would like to make healthcare more affordable for individuals and small businesses. They introduced bills to create a public option this week.
The public option under consideration would require state employee health plans to be opened up to private individuals and small businesses.
Christine Cohen, a state senator from Guilford, is a small business owner who believes a public option would save money and encourage business development.
“We make Connecticut small businesses competitive and more attractive to workers and we decrease the state’s healthcare cost for its own employees by increasing its buying power of its health plan. This is something that everyone regardless of party can get behind.”
State Senator Matt Lesser of Middletown is a cancer survivor. He’s also co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee where the legislation was introduced.
Lesser believes healthcare is a right. He says it’s time Connecticut lawmakers champion the cause, which was dropped when the Affordable Care Act passed in Congress.
“Ten years ago a senator from Connecticut, Senator Joe Lieberman, killed the public option on a federal level. This year Governor Lamont has the ability to resurrect it.”
Democrats say this would create competition and help drive down the cost of the high deductible health insurance market.
Republicans oppose a taxpayer-backed public option. They say it will not be good for business and that government should not be involved in the private healthcare market.
