Beginning tomorrow, and over the next three weeks, the
Connecticut HealthFirst Authority is holding
public hearings around the state -- an opportunity for our members to call for quality, affordable, and sustainable healthcare for all! The
authority's members include insurance representatives, healthcare providers, elected officials, and consumer advocates, and they need to hear our stories
before they recommend reforms for the General Assembly to tackle in the 2009 legislative session.
The HealthFirst Authority was established by the legislature during the 2008 session to make recommendations to lawmakers on "providing quality, affordable and sustainable health care for all individuals residing in this state." These public hearings are designed to gather comments and opinions from state residents on the current broken system, and on proposed solutions.
As leaders of the effort to pass legislation that would have expanded the State health plan's "pool" to include municipal and school district employees in the past legislative session, our members have become influential voices in the healthcare reform debate. And, despite the Governor's veto of the bill earlier this summer, we came closer to achieving major healthcare reform than at any time in the 17 years since we first proposed "pooling!"
And we have an important message to deliver the Authority for its recommendations to the legislature for next year. Our stories will show decision makers that public service workers and retirees struggle with the rising cost and diminishing quality of employer-provided healthcare, too.
Our stories will also show the public that we will not allow the special interests that want to maintain the status quo -- maximum premiums and minimum care -- to divide those who have quality, affordable healthcare from those who don't.
Nine hearings have been scheduled in locations all over Connecticut through Monday, October 6, and we have created an event page for each with links to an online map:
Wednesday, September 17 at 6:30PM in Putnam
Thursday, September 18 at 6:30PM in Norwalk
Tuesday, September 23 at 6:30PM in Torrington
Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30PM in Wallingford
Thursday, September 25 at 6:30PM in Norwich
Wednesday, October 1 at 6:30PM in Waterbury
Wednesday, October 2 at 6:30PM in Hartford
Thursday, October 3 at 6:30PM in Manchester
Monday, October 6 at 6:30PM in Danbury (NOTE DATE CHANGE)
Contact Political Director Rick Melita
at the union hall at (800) 894-9479 to let us know which location you plan to attend -- and remember to bring a fellow union member with you!
Posted by:
Matt OConnor on 9/16/2008 at 10:53:00 AM