S.B.425: An Act Concerning A Basic Health Program
Public Health Committee Hearing
Co-Chairs of the Committee are Senator Terry Gerratana and Representative Elizabeth Ritter.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
10:00 AM in Room 1D of the LOB
The Committee is accepting electronic testimony via email at phc.testimony@cga.ct.gov. Please submit electronic testimony no later than 8:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 20, 2012. If you are unable to submit electronic testimony, please submit 10 copies of written testimony no later than 8:30 A.M. on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 in Room 3000 of the LOB. Please submit separate testimony for each bill. Testimony submitted after the deadline will be made available after the hearing. Sign-up for the hearing will begin at 9:00 A.M. in the First Floor Atrium of the LOB. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Chief Elected Municipal Officials. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. Bills will be heard in the order listed in the Bulletin.
Click here for written bill http://cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00425-R00-SB.htm
Click here for fact sheet: BHP fact sheet
Writing Tips:
1. State Basic Health Program (SBHP or BHP) is an option under federal health care reform designed to provide an affordable alternative to purchasing insurance in the Health Insurance Exchange for low-income people in high cost states like Connecticut.
2. Connecticut could provide affordable, good quality health care to about 75,000 adults with incomes between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty level under a State Basic Health Program.
3. The State Basic Health Program could be designed so that it is funded entirely with federal funds.[1] Mercer report to the Health Exchange Board modeled three different scenarios for a State Basic Health Program. In each scenario, the State Basic Health Program could be funded by the Mercer estimates of available federal funds.
4. If the State Basic Health Program mirrored Medicaid, the state could save $48 million in state Medicaid spending by covering HUSKY parents and pregnant women with incomes over 133% fpl who are currently covered in Medicaid.
5. The State Basic Health Program should mirror Medicaid because:
- it will be easier for DSS to administer Medicaid and SBHP if the systems match
- Medicaid provides benefits that are particularly important to low-income people and are not adequately covered in commercial plans, including mental and oral health services and transportation
- there will be continuity of care and ease of administration if an individual’s income fluctuates above and below 133% FPL in the course of a year.
[1] If the state establishes a State Basic Health Program, adults with incomes between 133 – 200% FPL would not be eligible for subsidies in the Health Insurance Exchange that will be established in 2014. Instead, the state would receive federal funding to pay for health care in the State Basic Health Program.