Public option the right choice for state

Health insurance should be reliable, predictable and affordable. We want our medical treatment to be covered when we need care. We want to have the peace of mind that we will get care without surprises, changes, unexpected bills or sudden rate increases. And we want this peace of mind to be within our reach financially, so no one has to run up thousands of dollars in medical expenses before their insurance kicks in.

Every year, many in Connecticut open letters from their health insurance company with apprehension. They know, because it happens every year, that one of these envelopes will be the bearer of bad news: a new premium increase, a higher deductible or diminished coverage.

As a small-business owner, I am all too familiar with the unrelenting, constant rate hikes and worsening insurance coverage in our state. Years ago, my business provided 100 percent health insurance coverage for our employees; the steady climb of premiums, however, forced us to introduce cost-sharing first, and then shifted our employees to the state health exchange later, as the expense became unsustainable.

Our own family coverage has seen similar price increases, with premiums increasing by 50 percent in four short years and our family deductible nearly doubling.

It should be obvious by now that our health insurance system is neither reliable, nor predictable, and certainly not affordable. We have seen this in stark terms this year, as tens of thousands of families in Connecticut were left without coverage, a consequence of layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Families of color and low-income workers saw these impacts exacerbated. We see it every time someone says they’re dreading going to the doctor because they haven’t met their deductible and can’t afford to pay for a visit out of pocket. We see it in the thousands of small businesses struggling to offer health care coverage, as costs mount and employee morale suffers.

In each case, we see how the inefficiencies, the gaps in coverage, and the staggering costs in our insurance system puts people’s health at risk — a postponed visit to the doctor that fails to catch a deadly disease early on; a chronic illness that is not managed as it should be, leading to complications; a simple medical procedure that could make us healthier or provide early diagnosis but is brushed aside due to its cost.

Even with all these additional risks and serious health implications, the financial burden remains and continues to magnify. We continue to see families having to sacrifice their life savings to cover a deductible when faced with medical emergencies. We continue to see small businesses struggling to stay afloat as health premiums swamp any productivity gains or pay raises.

And in all this, communities of color are the most likely to fall behind, losing coverage, postponing care, struggling to pay medical bills and leading to the staggering health disparities that this pandemic has revealed.

We can do better. Connecticut must pass clear, targeted reforms that help reduce premiums, increase access and make health coverage more reliable. This requires addressing the gaps in the Affordable Care Act and offering a better alternative to the confusing, expensive and unreliable insurance in the market. This requires a public option.

By creating a public option, Connecticut can provide a new baseline for health insurance coverage in our state. These plans, managed by the state but administered in partnership with private providers, will allow small companies and individuals to purchase health coverage in collaboration with the state employee plan. These larger risk pools will not only allow the negotiation of lower prices from providers, but offer lower premiums, larger networks, and better coverage.

With a public option, small businesses will be able to stand with equal footing to big corporations in the insurance market. Gone will be the endless paperwork and meager offerings as insurance companies raise premiums. The public option will provide a clear, simple, reliable and affordable plan, backed by the state, that will have quality, affordable care as its first priority — not squeezing profits out of small businesses trying to retain employees.

A more affordable, predictable health insurance plan will, above all, give many of us the peace of mind of not having to worry about our health coverage. It is time to put the good health and well-being of Connecticut’s residents first by prioritizing equitable health access. Health care should be a public good, not a market commodity. It is time to ensure that is the case here in Connecticut.