Healthcare "Pooling" Works!

Leading for Reform, Expanding Coverage, Reducing Costs

Council 760 Members Working as Educational Support Staff in Windsor Schools Celebrated the "Mini-Pooling" Bill's Passage in the House at their April Meeting

For more than three decades, our Union members have advocated for a series of commonsense healthcare reforms. Since 1991, we have supported a plan to bring municipal and school workers into the State Health Plan "pool" to lower costs, increase access, and improve the quality of medical insurance for more Connecticut working families.

In 2008 and 2009, our members' efforts helped push lawmakers to pass a bill that "pools" public employees' healthcare, as well as legislation that creates a framework for universal coverage in our state. Quality, affordable medical insurance for all our state's working families required Governor Rell to sign these bills into law -- instead, she said "no" to providing relief for the high cost of care and "no" to protecting or expanding access to medical insurance.

Legislators successfully overturned her veto in 2009 of the SustiNet Plan, the bill to establish universal coverage. But the Senate came up just one vote short for the "Connecticut Healthcare Partnership," which would bring additional insured lives into the State "pool."

At the same time, SEIU and our labor allies mobilized union members across the country to bring real accountability to the nation's health insurance industry. With the support of Connecticut's congressional delegation, the most expansive reforms in five decades became law in 2010. While not perfect, the plan will expand access, lower costs, and secure coverage for millions of Americans in the years to come.

For the 2010 legislative session, our members got behind a new "mini-pooling" initiative put forward by the House Speaker, which would allow municipalities and school districts to participate in the State prescription drug plan. Its bulk purchases mean significant reductions in the cost of life-saving medications for workers, and savings to participating local towns and schools that benefit taxpayers.

Strong support from the State Comptroller, municipal and school elected officials, healthcare advocates, and our members built an overwhelming consensus in the legislature to pass the bill. Then in June, Governor Rell signed it into law, moving Connecticut one step closer to joining the ranks of the nearly two dozen states that "pool" public employees' healthcare to lower costs.

 SEBAC press release on passage of prescription plan "mini-pooling" bill (includes statute)

 SEIU "Healthcare Reform Central" online resources for members

Blog entry on reform principles and SEIU's opposition to a proposed tax on decent health insurance

December 2009 memo to our Executive Council on proposed healthcare reform principles

 2009 Legislative Session healthcare initiatives

 Blog entry mobilizing members for 2008 CT Health First Authority public hearings

Blog entry announcing our May 2008 "pooling" press conference to respond to special interests

 Council 760 Member Julie Cinammon's 2008 testimony supporting the CHP

2008 Labor Lobby Day "pooling" Capitol News Briefing highlights