The House of Representatives has passed legislation that will allow Connecticut municipalities and non-profit agencies to join the state’s health insurance plan for employees, retirees and their dependents, The Associated Press reports.
The bill passed 88-48 on Friday. It now moves to the Senate for further action.
House Speaker Christopher Donovan, a longtime proponent of the concept of pooling, said lawmakers are moving ahead with providing quality, affordable health care options for residents.
The bill also creates a SustiNet Healthcare Cabinet to advise the governor on future health care reforms. The SustiNet board had originally recommended pooling everyone from state employees to the uninsured into one system.
House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero said this bill essentially guts the SustiNet concept, something many Democrats have been advocating for years as needed to cover the uninsured.
