UHCF President Frances Padilla.
This week some of the people who voted in a Democratic wave plan to ensure it flows to the intended shore.
The intended destination: Affordable health care for more people.
Advocates of two bills aimed at bringing that result plan to mass on the state Capitol Wednesday for a “Health Care Action Day.” Organized by the Protect Our Care CT coalition, the event is aimed at pushing legislators to pass HB 7267, which would create more “public option” state-run health plans for people to buy into at affordable rates; and HB 7174, which would allow municipalities, nonprofits and self-insured companies to offer employees less expensive prescription drugs through the state employee health plan’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager. Some 70,000 people work for employers that would be affected by the bill.
“Small businesses are choking on the cost of health care,” preventing them from expanding, competing, and luring talented workers, observed Frances Padilla, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, a member of the coalition organizing Wednesday’s event.
Padilla said she hears that all the time from small business owners. And candidates for state legislative and statewide office heard that over and over again last fall, when that issue helped propel a “blue wave” that ended with firm Democratic majorities in both houses and Democrats in all constitutional offices. Wednesday’s event is aimed at reminding them of that.
Padilla talked about the bills as well as national work UHCF is engaged in, during an interview on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven” program. Click on the video below to watch the show.
CT should also pass a health care mandate, like the federal mandate that Trump refuses to enforce. A public option and a mandate go well together.