Local seniors propose legislation

NEWINGTON A coalition of Connecticut seniors has released proposed legislation to end steep increases in long-term care insurance premiums, ahead of the 2026 legislative session, which begins February 4.

‘While the industry and the Connecticut Insurance Department would have us believe this is a claim crisis, the truth is this is a premium crisis, created when the industry closed these policies to new business after only a few years, cutting off the ability to build the financial reserves needed to cover future liabilities,” said David Schwartzer, a Newington resident who led the coalition along with Kenneth Kollmeyer of Farmington and Jan Kritzman of Newington. “‘After years of inaction by the legislature, it is time to hold the industry responsible for their actions. Our proposed legislation provides substantive relief to the policyholders and shifts the financial burden back to the insurance industry,” Schwartzer added.

The group said the proposal was sent to members of the Connecticut General Assembly. The proposed legislation is intended to stop what the group described as punitive rate hikes faced by long-term care insurance policyholders. The coalition said the increases stem from decisions made by the insurance industry decades ago when the policies were first sold.

According to the coalition, many policyholders are now paying premiums that are 200%, 300% or even 400% higher than what they originally paid when they purchased their policies.

The group said more than 100,000 Connecticut residents hold long-term care insurance policies. Most are seniors who are struggling to keep up with rising costs.

Schwartzer, Kollmeyer and Kritzman said they have been working together since 2022 to push for relief. They said many policyholders are being forced to choose between paying for housing, buying groceries, or using large portions of their Social Security income to cover insurance premiums.

The coalition said the proposed legislation would shift responsibility back to the insurance industry and provide meaningful relief to policyholders who have been affected by rising costs for years.