As state lawmakers propose to add several new or expanded health insurance mandates provided by employers, state insurance regulators have put a price tag on several health benefits, providing a bit more transparency to the debate.
The review of three health benefits by the Connecticut Insurance Department was requested by state lawmakers last year.
The report concluded that requiring insurers to cover MRI’s for breast cancer screenings if a mammogram shows dense breast tissue, and expanding coverage for gastric bypass surgery would cost employers 92 cents and 50 cents respectively per employee per month.
Meanwhile, a mandate requiring employers to provide an extra bottle of eye drops for children for use at their school or day care provider, and an extra refill for children and adults who run out  of eye drops before the end of the month would cost employers 7 cents per employee per month.
The report comes as lawmakers debate several health care mandates that were recently voted out of the insurance and real estate committee.
They include added coverage for bone marrow testing, ostomy supplies, breast MRIs, clinical trials, and prostate screening and treatment.
Insurance coverage mandates have been a hot political issue in Connecticut for years and state lawmakers annually propose bills that would require expanded coverage options.
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, an industry advocacy group, earlier this year ranked Connecticut as the eighth most expensive health care costs state spurred largely by the large number of insurance coverage mandates required under state law.
According to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, Connecticut has 59 health mandates on its books.
Business groups including the Connecticut Business & Industry Association have long complained that insurance mandates are driving up already increasing health care costs for employers.
