Connecticut House passes bill aimed at protecting health care workers after nurse's killing [The Hour, Norwalk, Conn.]

May 7—HARTFORD — As the House voted final action Monday night on a bill aimed at protecting visiting nurses and other health care workers from assault, a state representative pointed to a little-known section that could have resulted in diagnosing the arterial blockage that recently killed her husband.

In an emotional recollection that stopped the typically noisy undercurrent on the bustling House floor, third-term Rep. Tammy Exum, D-West Hartford, said the section of the bill that requires insurance companies to cover tests costing about $130 out-of-pocket would save lives.

"The first time I heard of the coronary calcium scan was approximately six months ago, when I received the autopsy results for my husband of 28 years, Earl Exum, who was an amazing and wonderful man," she said. "He was 55-years-old. (The pathologist) talked about how healthy he was and how his death was absolutely tragic. He said he had a massive heart attack known as the widow-maker. He explained that there was a blockage and told me to imagine a hose that was blocked, so no water could go through. In Earl's case, it was his left artery, the biggest artery that supplies blood to the heart. His heart stopped. He dropped and he died."

Lean, muscular and in good shape from daily workouts, his death last Oct. 1 was a total shock, she said.

What made it particularly tragic was that it was clear Earl was otherwise healthy, the pathologist told Exum. Standing at her desk toward the rear of the now quiet House chamber, Tammy Exum said the pathologist had told her a coronary calcium scan could have possibly prevented Earl's death as it indicates the degree of blockage. "If we were aware, we would have taken the scan, but we didn't know."

Along with the safety protections granted to health care workers, the bill also requires individual and group health insurance policies to cover coronary calcium scans starting Jan. 1, 2025. The massive bill was introduced for debate by Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield, co-chairwoman of the legislative Public Health Committee.

Overall, the legislation, which was given the title of Senate Bill No. 1 by the Democratic majority, was drafted in reaction to the October killing of Joyce Grayson, a visiting nurse who had been sent to examine a patient in a Willimantic group home for sex offenders. It was also inspired by the January death of Ototegile Morulane, a live-in caregiver and citizen of the Republican of Botswana who died in an East Lyme house fire.

"They found her body in the basement, stabbed numerous times and she was strangled," said eighth-term Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic of Grayson. "This is what happens when we don't take the precautions we must take to actually make sure people are protected, because these are not the things we want to see our providers go through. We want to make sure that we provide the care that they need."

If signed into law by the governor, there would be a grant program to provide escorts for medical staff entering neighborhoods or residences where there is a safety concern. There would also be mandatory safety training.

The 40-section bill passed the House 112-37, with 13 Republicans joining Democrats in approval. It calls for studies on gun safety, fatty liver disease, ovarian cancer and ailments found in nail salon workers. Also, loneliness and social isolation would be studied and methods to reduce opioid abuse. Another working group would study the potential formation of Connecticut's first pediatric hospice.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Senate also gave final approval to House Speaker Matt Ritter's legislation to ease access to elder care.

The legislation, H.B. 5001, directs state agencies to online databases to help match patients with home health care workers and nursing homes, while also expanding safety regulations and identification requirements for home health workers.

Lastly, the bill aims to remove red tape surrounding Medicaid access for seniors in need of Medicaid-funded home health services. The bill passed the Senate by a unanimous, 36-0 vote. The legislation now heads to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk for approval.

Staff Writer John Moritz contributed to this story.

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