Rell should sign insurance bill

5/21/08
Gov. M. Jodi Rell is threatening to veto a bill that would greatly increase access for state residents to affordable health care. She says the price might be too high.
That view is misguided; she should sign the bill.
The proposal would allow towns, cities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies to join the state employee health plan. Insurance officials, though, have caught the governor’s ear, and may be on the verge of convincing her to strike the bill down. That outcome would be unfortunate.
Connecticut is a state beset by rampant inequality, and a lack of affordable health insurance for thousands of people is among our most pressing issues. This bill would open up new opportunities and help bridge some of the pervasive gaps in the state safety net.
The governor said she received a letter Monday from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials that said if the legislation is signed into law, the company would have to recalculate the terms of its renegotiated contract for the state employee health plan that takes effect July 1. Tens of millions of dollars in extra payments are threatened if the law takes effect.
But the governor needs to provide some independent analysis before taking as drastic a step as exercising her veto power; simply taking the word of insurance executives won’t do. State leadership has a responsibility first to Connecticut residents, then to business interests.
It is true that the state achieved important savings from insurance companies, totaling about $54 million, guaranteed under the current enrolled total of about 250,000 active and retired employees. That savings could be in jeopardy, the executives say.
But in an $18.4 billion state budget that may be a price the state has to pay. Expanding state residents’ health insurance options is among Connecticut’s most pressing issues, and this bill represents an outstanding chance to make real change. The chance may not come again soon.
A number of state officials are urging Rell to sign the bill, and she should listen to them. Insurance costs are steep, but prevention is cheaper than treatment down the road, and either way, the state foots the bill. The governor needs to do what’s best for the people and the bottom line, and sign this bill into law.