05/21/08 Hartford Courant: Greenwich Resident Ned Lamont And Other Democrats Press For Small-Business Health Plan

Democrats stepped up pressure Tuesday on Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell to sign a health insurance bill that could loom large in this fall’s General Assembly races.

Backers of legislation that would open the state-employee health plan to a pool of municipalities, nonprofits and small businesses said a veto would align Rell with “special interests.”

“Today, I call on Gov. Rell to have the courage to say no to special interests and say yes to help for small businesses,” said Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, a Democrat.

The bill was passed by the large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate without attracting a single Republican vote in either chamber.

The Rell administration says that the bill’s Democratic proponents exaggerate potential savings to the new pool, while downplaying the risk of as much as $78 million in higher costs to the state health plan.

“That’s $78 million the state doesn’t have right now,” said Chris Cooper, a spokesman for Rell.

Insurers warn that opening the state-employee pool could bring in higher-risk participants that could drive up costs.

Bysiewicz hosted a press conference Tuesday with the bill’s lead sponsor, House Majority Leader Christopher G. Donovan of Meriden, and executives of two businesses and a nonprofit that support the bill.

“This is a great opportunity,” said Donovan, a labor activist who is expected to succeed James Amann as speaker in January. “With this bill, we can have a big win for the people of Connecticut.”

Donovan said the new pool could provide the health benefits enjoyed by state employees, including prescription co-pays as low as $3, to small businesses and nonprofits now struggling with high premiums and poor benefits.

He was joined by Ned Lamont, the Democrats’ U.S. Senate nominee in 2006 and the owner of a cable-television business, consultant John Hopper of Stamford and Jessica Sager, the director of a New Haven child care organization.

Lamont said he was amused by arguments that Donovan’s plan was the first step on a slippery slope to socialized medicine.

“Nonsense,” Lamont said. “What you’re doing is you’re giving small business a choice. You’re giving small business an option. You’re putting a little bit of competition on the table. And I think that’s good.”

Hopper said the cost of health insurance is stopping his communication consulting business from offering full-time positions to some of his 15 part-time employees. He has five full-time employees.

He said he pays $2,400 a month to cover his own family of five.

“This is a critical issue for us right now,” said Hopper, who identified himself as a Republican who voted for Rell.

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