A key health care strategy report commissioned by the Legislature that was due earlier this month has gotten hung up because commission members are sharply divided over how to proceed with a plan similar to one Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed last year.
The sticking point is a proposal to open up the state employee health plan to outside groups, a plan that closely tracks a 2008 bill that was backed by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan before it was blocked by Rell.
The HealthFirst Connecticut Authority — a group of business, health care and government representatives created a year and a half ago to make health care reform recommendations to the General Assembly — put off a decision on a final draft report for at least another month because its 10 voting members couldn’t reach a consensus.
Mickey Herbert, president and CEO of ConnectiCare, said it is imperative for the commissioned group to present a united front when it issues recommendations.
“No matter what your political bent is, you can be dismissive of the findings if there’s no clear majority report,” Herbert said. “They can just say, ‘We’re going to have to do our own thing and ignore the report because it’s a divided document.’”
In a year when many health care proposals are expected and legislators will be focused on cutting the state expenditures, it’s not clear whether a clear consensus is possible, observers said.
Sharon Langer, a senior policy fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children, said she favors expanding the state employee pool, but acknowledged that several voting members of HealthFirst Authority would have to abandon personal biases to hammer out a favorable recommendation that can be delivered to the Legislature.
“What’s really important is for people to move away from their stated positions and try to work together, take some risk and move forward,” Langer said.
Just how much clout the final report will hold in the General Assembly is still unclear to the group’s members, especially when several health care plans are expected to garner legislative interest this session. Donovan said the report will receive plenty of attention among legislators.
“People are looking for groups who are putting time and energy in this issue and coming up with solutions,” Donovan said. “There’s this group, a diverse group, and it’s important. We need that information.”
The lack of cost-analysis data has also contributed to the report’s delay. The board had asked an MIT professor to provide that information by the end of last year, but members now believe it could be another month before they get that data.
Another main key sticking point for group members is whether they would recommend an individual mandate for everyone in the state to acquire health care insurance, similar to the Massachusetts model. A first draft report recommended against an individual mandate at this time, but that has become a contentious issue.
Connecticut Business & Industry Association attorney Eric George said report drafts contain several items on which there is consensus. The CBIA doesn’t have a voting member on the authority, but it strongly agrees with those voters who oppose the pooling plan.
“CBIA is really concerned the HealthFirst authority is going to be endorsing a pooling system that would be tied to the very expensive and bloated employee health plan,” George said.
Group members have agreed upon the need to increase the availability of medical data to induce doctors to adopt best practices. Additionally, they support the proliferation of electronic medical records to boost health care efficiency and, in turn, bring down costs.
Sal Luciano, executive director of Council 4 AFSCME, said he supports a single-payer (government-run) system in the long run, but is supporting the pooling idea as a compromise.
“Long term, we’re going to have to bite the bullet,” said Luciano, who represents state employees. “Does pooling provide the answer? No. But it’s a good step toward providing quality care.”
As for whether or not a consensus can be reached, Herbert said he is hopeful members can come together over the next month. “That may be a pipe dream,” he said. “We may not get there.”
