What is HealthFirst?
HealthFirst Connecticut seeks to provide coverage for Connecticut residents currently without health insurance and will work toward a plan to bring better quality, simplicity and affordability in health care for all of Connecticut’s citizens.
The Two Authorities
The HealthFirst Connecticut and Healthy Kids legislation of 2007 created two authorities to develop workable plans for achieving the goals of HealthFirst.
The HealthFirst Connecticut Authority is charged with examining and evaluating alternatives for providing all residents with quality, affordable and sustainable health care. They must recommend to the legislature ways to contain costs and improve quality, including initiatives for people with chronic diseases. Finally, they will recommend ways to finance health care coverage, including ways to maximize federal health care subsidies and contributions from employers, employees, and individuals, and finance the state’s share of such coverage. Visit the HealthFirst Authority Web page to learn more. They can be contacted at healthfirstauthority@cga.ct.gov or by calling 860-240-5255.
The State-wide Primary Care Access Authority is charged with determining what constitutes primary care services and taking an inventory of the state’s existing primary care infrastructure. By December 31, 2008, they must develop a universal system, which maximizes federal financial participation in Medicaid and Medicare, to provide primary care services, including prescription drugs, to state residents, and by July 1, 2010, develop a plan for implementing such a system. Vist the State-wide Primary Care Access Authority Web page to learn more. They can be contacted at statewidePCAA@cga.ct.gov or by calling 860-240-5255.
Background
In 2007, Connecticut state Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. joined with health care professionals, advocates and fellow lawmakers in creating legislation to expand access to quality, affordable health care in Connecticut.
Senate Bill 1484, An Act Concerning the HealthFirst Connecticut and HealthyKids Initiatives, was the Democrats’ top priority for the 2007 legislative session, and on July 12, 2007, it was signed into law.
UPDATE
In a 8 to 2 vote on February 24, 2009, the HealthFirst Authority approved its final report. The co-chairs of the Aurthority will now present many of their findings to various legislative committees. You can download a copy of the HealthFirst Connecticut Authority Draft Final Report (4.5MB PDF file).
In the early fall, the HealthFirst Connecticut and State-Wide Primary Care Access Authorities held a series of public hearings around the state of Connecticut. Co-chairs Tom Swan and Margaret Flinter were joined by other members of the Authorities and legislators at stops that included Torrington, Putnam, Hartford, Manchester, Danbury, Waterbury, Wallingford, Norwalk and Norwich. At these public hearings, the public had the chance to provide feedback on the work of the Authorities and to express their views on the need for change in the health care system.
The State-Wide Primary Care Access Authority has contracted with the University of Connecticut to examine the primary care infrastructure in Connecticut; that work is currently taking place. The recommendations of both authorities will be presented to the legislature in time for consideration in the 2009 legislative session.
Podcast
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October 24: Senator Donald Williams sat down with HealthFirst Connecticut Authority co-chair Margaret Flinter to learn about the public hearings held throughout Connecticut and get an update on the Authority’s work as they approached their deadline to submit recommendations to the legislature.
Members and collaborators of the HealthFirst Connecticut Authority following their final meeting in 2008 at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. (December 17, 2008)