The work doesn’t stop when the legislative session ends. In July, I attended the Council of State Governments East Annual Conference. One of the topics discussed was what strategies states are pursuing to improve the health and well-being of their residents.
In the Connecticut legislature we have been working to make sure all our residents have access to the tools and services they need to live healthy lives. In the past two years we passed bills to:
- Create early detection for lung cancer.
- Establish newborn screening for cytomegalovirus, the most common infectious cause for birth defects.
- Combat opioid misuse and substance use disorder.
- Start prohibiting step therapy for treating schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder*.
- Expand pharmacies’ ability to administer vaccines, COVID, flu, and HIV testing and provide prescriptions that prevent HIV.
- Create a statewide drug discount card program (www.arrayrxcard.com).
- Require coverage for coronary calcium scans.
- Make permanent certain expanded requirements for telehealth services.
- Help people on co-pay only health plans to access radiology imaging and physical and occupational therapy.
Health and wellbeing are passions of mine. Helping people get the healthcare they need when they need it is one of the reasons I ran for office in the first place.
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