Republican lawmakers are calling on the state legislature to form a bipartisan committee aimed at lowering healthcare costs, just days after a Texas federal judge ruled the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional.
Access Health CT, Connecticut’s Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange, on Monday said the ruling may be appealed to higher courts and doesn’t change anything for 2019.
But on Tuesday, Senate Republican leader Len Fasano and state Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) wrote to Gov-elect Ned Lamont, urging the Democrat to join their efforts to establish a committee focused on mitigating rising premium costs on health insurance plans they say are perpetuated by the healthcare law.
“Together, we have to figure out how to reduce these costs so more people can afford health insurance and access care,” the letter says. “We also have to be proactive and ready a state-based plan should the Texas ruling be upheld and should Congress fail to quickly adopt new, appropriate policies.”
The Republicans also recommended groups of state lawmakers, officials, advocates and other stakeholders that could be appointed to the committee. They include:
- Four state lawmakers, including two co-chairs and two ranking members of the Insurance Committee (Two Democrats and two Republicans).
- The Access Health executive director.
- The Insurance Department commissioner.
- Insurance carriers.
- A representative from Gov.-elect Lamont’s healthcare cabinet.
- A state healthcare advocate.
Under Connecticut law, health insurance plans lasting longer than six months protect consumers with pre-existing conditions.
The state’s pre-existing condition laws effect roughly 35 percent of fully insured plans, according to CT News Junkie.
The Texas ruling, issued Dec. 14, also spurred the recent extension of Access Health’s open enrollment period through Jan. 15.
On Friday, Access Health said there were 102,412 enrollees in non-Medicaid health plans offered on the exchange. That’s about 10 percent less that the roughly 114,000 people that signed up during last year’s open enrollment period.
