While far from enjoying a landslide of support, a bill which would create a single health insurer in Connecticut is continuing to move through the state legislature. Few observers expect the measure to proceed much further, but the progress of the Connecticut Saves Health Care bill intrigues supporters, who say that its continued progress shows a surprising level of support for single-payor reform. After all, if approved, the measure would radically change the state's health insurance infrastructure by taking away the role of private health insurers.
The health insurance industry, of course, is more than a little upset by this proposal. Some legislators noted that the state could lose a significant number of insurance-industry jobs if the bill were to pass. However, at present these worries are essentially moot. Provisions for paying for the new plan--which include an 8 percent payroll tax on employers of a certain size and a 3 percent tax on health provider revenue--have been yanked from the bill, leaving it somewhat in limbo for the time being.
To get more details on the bill:
- read this piece from the Hartford Courant