Sen. Cohen bill would allow small businesses to buy state health insurance

Jan. 25--HARTFORD -- A local legislator has proposed a bill which would enable small business employees in the state to purchase health insurance in collaboration with the state employee plan.

This public option would provide relief for small businesses and affordable health care choices for their employees, according to state Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford.

"As a small business owner myself, I know all too well the high costs associated with health insurance, and what that does to a bottom line. Burdens can vary from business to business, but in speaking with many area partnerships and corporations, one common encumbrance was clear -- the cost of insurance," Cohen said in a press release.

"This bill would alleviate some of that expense while offering, in many cases, superior coverage. Additionally, the hope would be to potentially provide coverage to people who have never been covered before or encourage those to seek medical treatment they may have foregone," Cohen said.

The option would:

Help small businesses lower operating costs (less expensive fringe benefits)

Improve the quality of health care small businesses in Connecticut can offer their employees

Create incentive for businesses to operate in Connecticut

Make Connecticut small businesses more attractive and competitive to workers

Decrease the state's health care costs for its own employees by increasing the buying power of its health plan

State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, chairman of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, applauded Cohen's efforts in the news release.

"There's a reason that a public option was listed as number 1 on the Insurance Committee's agenda. Families and businesses in Connecticut can't afford to wait. They're looking to the legislature and to Gov. Ned Lamont to lower costs and deliver on the promise of health care reform," Lesser said in a prepared statement.

The Insurance Committee voted to draft the bill during its Thursday meeting.

___

(c)2019 The Middletown Press, Conn.

Visit The Middletown Press, Conn. at www.middletownpress.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.