2025 Priority Bills & Maternal Care in Windham

February 7, 2025


There are many issues that we need to address urgently at the State Capitol. House Democrats recently unveiled our top priorities for 2025. Please read below to learn how we plan to tackle special education, housing, Medicaid reimbursement rates, our environment, and affordable childcare.

Speaking of childcare, I'm working with my colleagues in Windham and advocates to find innovative approaches for high-quality and affordable care. You will find some of those proposals if you keep scrolling.

A dedicated community advocate, who is committed to restoring birthing services in Windham, joined my weekly radio show. You can listen to the program below where we discussed a possible path forward to support expectant parents.

Here are the sections in today's email:

  • 2025 Priority Bills
  • Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
  • Tackling Our Urgent Childcare Challenges
  • Let's Talk About It: Maternal Care in Windham
  • Access to Contraception
 
2025 Priority Bills
During the 2025 session, House Democrats’ legislative priorities will focus on:
 
Medicaid Reimbursement Rates
House and Senate Democratic leaders announced a legislative proposal to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, which is long overdue. A recent state Medicaid Rate Study found that Connecticut lags well behind peer states when paying providers under Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Many areas of care are currently reimbursed at the same levels they were in 2007.

Increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates is a worthy investment, and that’s the type of good work we’re going to keep doing here.
 
Tackling Our Urgent Childcare Challenges
I joined a team of community leaders to tackle the urgent challenges of childcare access, affordability, and quality in Windham. Our goal is to create a sustainable system where providers are earning fair wages while families can afford high-quality care. However, this remains a significant challenge – especially in northeastern Connecticut, where reimbursement rates lag behind compared to other parts of the state.
My colleagues and I heard directly from constituents who proposed innovative solutions to address these barriers. One idea is to offer no-cost and low-cost childcare as an incentive to attract and retain early childhood educators. Another approach is to introduce early child care certification programs in high schools, allowing students to earn college credits toward a Child Development Associate credential before graduation.

I remain committed to working with the Northeast Connecticut Childcare Needs group to develop and implement strategies that expand access to high quality, affordable childcare – supporting both working families and the businesses that rely on them. Investing in early childhood education is an investment in our community’s future.
 
Let's Talk About It: Maternal Care in Windham
We had an insightful conversation with a dedicated community advocate about the urgent need to restore maternity and delivery services at Windham Hospital. Brenda Buchbinder, a fierce champion for local healthcare access, joined Dennis O’Brien and me on my weekly radio show “Let’s Talk About It” to discuss a path forward for expectant parents in our community.

Buchbinder leads Windham United to Save Our Healthcare and has been at the forefront of the fight to hold Hartford Healthcare accountable since it shut down labor and delivery services at Windham Hospital two years ago. She has worked tirelessly, partnering with other advocacy groups to demand solutions for families who want to give birth close to home.
Guidehouse, a global healthcare consulting firm, has launched an independent study to assess the need and financial feasibility of a freestanding birthing center in Windham. In-person focus groups are gathering critical feedback from residents and community partners about the current gaps in maternal care and the potential benefits of a local birthing center.

Safety is a major priority and without maternal services, pregnant mothers must travel to other hospitals, such as Backus Hospital in Norwich, which is concerning given the lack of a highway connection. Buchbinder highlighted the dangers of Route 32, particularly at Franklin Hill, where the absence of safe pull-off areas increases the risk of crashes. These transportation barriers put families in jeopardy and make it even more critical to bring birthing services back to Windham.

Please click on the video below to learn more and listen to the entire show.
Brenda Buchbinder shares why every family deserves safe,
accessible maternal care right here in Windham.
 
Access To Contraception
The training program, developed by the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, received final approval this week from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. The continuing education program is expected to take four hours to complete and is optional for all pharmacists. There are 671 licensed pharmacies and more than 6,500 licensed pharmacists in the state who are eligible to complete the course and begin offering this service.
 
In addition, the state’s first vending machines providing access to emergency contraception and other over-the-counter medications are also now available in Connecticut.