Fairfield, CT - Ranking Republican on the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, issued the following statement regarding today’s Senate Democrats press conference:
“I truly am hopeful this year that the Insurance Committee will focus on transparency and accountability when deciding what bills to put before the committee for public hearing and further action. We cannot continue to search year after year for solutions to high healthcare costs and premiums, and instead must allow for all options and opinions to be weighed. In fact, our committee leadership fully supported drafting language and public hearing on SB 10 and SB 11.
Those ideas and other proposals from the legislature and the Lamont administration are opportunities for us to move forward.
Additionally, we must enhance and strengthen Benchmarking. I have and will continue to work with the Office of Health Strategy, Governor Lamont, and other stakeholders to bolster the system and make sure the state is committed to lower prices through the benchmarking process. There must also be accountability in this process, and an openness to information like rate increases that tend to lead to the high premiums we see year after year.
There are certainly other mechanisms to look at to lower costs, and it is imperative that the Insurance Committee have an open and honest conversation with the public on topics such as reinsurance, certificates of need, and a public option. Transparency will open the door to meaningful discussion which will lead to meaningful action.”