Kate Farrar

Wednesday evening, Connecticut state Comptroller Kevin Lembo and State Representatives Kate Farrar (D – West Hartford) and Jillian Gilchrest (D – West Hartford) held a virtual community health care forum to engage constituents in a conversation about creating a more equitable health care system in Connecticut. 

The discussion focused on how COVID-19 has impacted working families and how a robust public option health insurance program can improve the state's health care system and address longstanding health inequities.  

“There is an ongoing health care crisis in Connecticut. Expanding access to health care that people can actually use, afford and rely on is the only way to combat that crisis,” said Comptroller Kevin Lembo. “We have the ability to leverage the market power of the state health plan to help everyone in the state by growing the economy and protecting the health of our friends and neighbors. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discuss this issue alongside Representative Gilchrest and Representative Farrar and hear from those who have been directly affected.” 

"The cost of health care in Connecticut has contributed to the state's rising cost of living and the widening gap between the insured and uninsured. This evening, constituents made it clear that access to affordable health care is a top priority that requires immediate action," said Rep. Farrar. "The pandemic has compounded the effects of Connecticut's inequitable health care system that has left communities of color and low-wage earners behind. Health care is a right, but the way our state's current system is structured makes it a privilege reserved for the most fortunate residents."  

"Access to healthcare shouldn't be a privilege. After seeing so many Connecticut residents lose their employment during the pandemic it is imperative that we create a public option for health insurance that is equitable, dependable and affordable,” said Rep. Gilchrest.  

To address existing disparities and control the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, lawmakers are developing legislation to create a public health insurance option that achieves the following: 

• Establishes public health care options to allow Connecticut's small businesses, nonprofits, and unions to access affordable, high-quality health insurance by leveraging negotiating power and existing programs of the state employee health plan; 

• Expands coverage to make Connecticut's healthcare system more equitable by expanding eligibility for Medicaid (HUSKY) and expanding health insurance options for undocumented individuals and families who are shut out of the health care market; 

• Ensures health insurance products are affordable and high-quality by addressing high-deductible health insurance plans and lowering out-of-pocket expenses; and 

• Increases financial assistance to make insurance more affordable by expanding subsidies for the individual market and lowering premium out-of-pocket costs for middle-class Connecticut families 

Lawmakers anticipate a public option will expand access to dependable care, help address racial disparities in coverage and aid the state's economic recovery. Connecticut is experiencing a health care crisis that has persisted long before the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Prior to the declaration of the public health emergency, 51% of Connecticut residents struggled to afford their health care, and 43% of residents reported delaying or foregoing care due to its exorbitant cost. According to Access Health CT, the state's overall uninsured rate was 5.3 percent before the pandemic, however Black and Hispanic or Latino residents were more likely to be uninsured. The uninsured rate for Black residents was 6.8% and 13.1% for Hispanic or Latino residents.  

The health emergency has exacerbated these existing disparities, especially as tens of thousands of workers have become unemployed and lost vital health insurance coverage as a result. By reducing the financial burden of health care, more families – particularly low- and middle-income residents – will save and employers will be able to provide more affordable coverage to employees, allowing the state's economy to expand.