With concerns and doubts continuing to grow over Connecticut’s sweeping health care reform proposal, the organization that helped write the legislation is stepping up its efforts increase public support for the measure.
The Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut recently launched a new website to support the organizations “healthcare4every1” initiative, created in 2006 to make the public aware of the need for health care reform in Connecticut.
The site, http://www.healthcare4every1.org/, features a “Big Plus” messaging campaign aimed at informing and motivating state residents to support the implementation of the Sustinet.
“The intentional misinformation and fear mongering around the state’s health reform legislation has intensified as the proposal gets closer to the legislative finish line,” said Juan A. Figueroa, Sustinet’s executive director. “The need to step up our efforts to get the truth out about all the pluses Sustinet will add up to for our state is more urgent than ever.”
Sustinet is Connecticut sweeping health care reform proposal that includes establishing a self-insured public insurance option choice for municipalities that would gradually be expanded to private employers, small businesses, nonprofits and households.
The plan also calls for payment reforms including implementing the medical home model concept and linking provider payments to performance; expanding the state’s Medicaid program; and investments in electronic health records.
Democratic lawmakers, along with the Universal Health Care Foundation, at least one small business group, and others, have been pushing for the adoption of the proposal, which has passed three committees so far.
But Republicans and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association oppose the measure over concern about its costs, which have not yet been tabulated.
Even Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy has raised concerns about the cost and scope of the measure as he tries to close a $3.2 billion budget gap.
And support from the medical community is even on the wane with the recent decisions by doctors and cardiologists to either withdraw their support for the measure or raise deep concerns about it after lawmakers decided to remove medical liability protection from the bill.
