On Valentine's Day, Lawmakers Propose Bill Aimed At The Heart

State Sens. Heather Somers, Saud Anwar, Jeff Gordon, and Stephen Harding held a bipartisan press conference Wednesday calling for legislation to require private health insurers to cover a relatively new heart scan that identifies dangerous calcium deposits.

The scan, which produces a Coronary CT Calcium Score (CCTCS), is a non-invasive scan of the heart that detects the presence of calcium deposits in the walls of arteries. "CT" stands for computerized tomography.

The procedure acts as a preventative measure against heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in both men and women in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sen. Somers, a Groton Republican and ranking member of the Public Health Committee, highlighted the importance of getting scanned for calcium deposits.

"We now possess the powerful tool to detect the early signs of heart disease, enabling proactive intervention and potentially saving countless lives," Somers said. She compared the CCTCS to other preventative procedures already covered by health insurance.

"Think about it as the mammogram for the heart," she said.

According to Somers, the scan requires no anesthesia or incisions, adding that it reduces the risk and discomfort people associate with invasive procedures related to the heart.

She said the legislative proposal will make the preventative procedure "accessible to a broader population including those that may be reluctant to undergo more invasive tests," Somers said.

Currently, the CCTCS is covered by Medicaid in Connecticut, but Somers said private insurance does not cover the cost of what she described as a simple and "not-that-expensive" of a test, ranging between $100 and $400.

"This bill is asking that insurance cover the cost of this preventative test," Somers said.

Sen. Saud Anwar, a South Windsor Democrat and doctor who co-chairs the Public Health Committee, voiced similar support regarding the cost-to-benefit ratio of the CCTCS.

"There is a cost of doing something and there is a cost of not doing something. Right now it's very clear that the cost of not performing the CT scan for calcium score is far more than the cost of doing it," Anwar said. "This noninvasive test is a very important tool and I am honored to stand with my colleagues to raise the awareness of this issue, but also ask the insurance industry to take care of the citizens of our state and cover this important test."

Sen. Jeff Gordon, a Woodstock Republican who is also a doctor, discussed the massive toll heart disease takes on people as well as the cost of care.

"When we find out about heart disease too late we have to treat all of the ill-effects of it," Gordon said. "When we can find out about peoples' risks early, we could intervene, and when you intervene early not only do you save lives … but also the overall burden on the healthcare system is less because we are not waiting to react to illness, we are being proactive."

Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, said the CCTCS is not only going to be more economically efficient for the healthcare industry, but will also save lives.

"This is an effort that, in my opinion, legislators have an obligation to get behind," Harding said.