Connecticut SB 1090: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO STUDY A HUSKY FOR ALL SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1090
January Session, 2021 LCO No. 4717

Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES

Introduced by:
(HS)

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO STUDY A HUSKY FOR
ALL SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section, "HUSKY 1
for All Single Payer, Universal Health Care Program" means a single 2
payer, universal health care program that: (1) Eliminates duplicative 3
health insurance programs and resulting duplicative costs to the extent 4
permissible under state and federal law; (2) consolidates oversight, 5
payment and risk under one public or quasi-public entity; (3) eliminates 6
coverage limits and cost sharing requirements, including, but not 7
limited to, (A) deductibles, (B) copayments, and (C) coinsurance; (4) 8
incorporates prescription drug price controls; and (5) establishes 9
budgets and payment systems for hospitals for overnight care and a 10
uniform fee schedule for health care providers not providing overnight 11
care. 12
(b) There is established a commission to study and make 13
recommendations concerning establishing a HUSKY for All Single 14
Payer, Universal Health Care Program in the state. The commission may 15

Raised Bill No. 1090

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contract with an independent person or entity for an economic analysis 16
of establishing such program provided such person or entity has 17
completed not less than two such economic analyses of establishing a 18
single payer, universal health care program on the state or federal level. 19
(c) The commission shall be comprised of: 20
(1) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, established 21
pursuant to section 19a-754a of the general statutes, or the executive 22
director's designee; 23
(2) The chief executive officer of the Connecticut Health Insurance 24
Exchange, established pursuant to section 38a-1081 of the general 25
statutes, or the chief executive officer's designee; 26
(3) The chairperson of the Council on Medical Assistance Program 27
Oversight, established pursuant to section 17b-28 of the general statutes, 28
or the chairperson's designee; 29
(4) The Healthcare Advocate, appointed pursuant to section 38a-1042 30
of the general statutes, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee; 31
(5) The chairpersons of the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight 32
Council, established pursuant to section 17a-22j of the general statutes, 33
or their designees; 34
(6) The chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General 35
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, 36
insurance, labor and public health, or their designees; 37
(7) The Insurance Commissioner and the Commissioner of Social 38
Services, or their designees; 39
(8) The chief executive officer of the Connecticut Hospital 40
Association, or the chief executive officer's designee; 41
(9) The president of the Connecticut State Medical Society, or the 42
president's designee; 43

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(10) Two providers of medical services under the medical assistance 44
program and two persons who receive such services under the program, 45
appointed by the chairperson of the Council on Medical Assistance 46
Program Oversight; 47
(11) One representative each from Health Equity Solutions and 48
United States of Care, appointed by the executive director of the Office 49
of Health Strategy; 50
(12) Two representatives of labor unions representing employees 51
who work in health care fields, appointed by the executive director of 52
the Office of Health Strategy; and 53
(13) Two persons from academia with expertise in economics or 54
health insurance, or both, appointed by the executive director of the 55
Office of Health Strategy, provided such persons shall not be among the 56
independent persons contracting with the commission to produce an 57
economic analysis on establishing a HUSKY for All Single Payer, 58
Universal Health Care Program. 59
(d) The commission shall meet not later than thirty days after the 60
effective date of this section. The executive director of the Office of 61
Health Strategy, or the executive director's designee, shall serve as a 62
chairperson of the commission and a second chairperson shall be chosen 63
by the commission from among the members of the commission. The 64
joint committee on legislative management shall provide administrative 65
support to the commission. Any vacancies shall be filled by the 66
executive director of the Office of Health Strategy or the appointing 67
authority. If an appointing authority does not fill a vacancy within thirty 68
days, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall fill the 69
vacancy. 70
(e) The commission shall study: 71
(1) Current health care spending, including, but not limited to: (A) 72
State costs of the medical assistance program