February 27, 2024
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Insurance & Real Estate Committee in support of HB 5427: An Act Concerning Employee Health Benefit Consortiums.My name is Bryce Chinault, I am the Director of External Affairs for Yankee Institute, a non-profit public policy organization in Hartford dedicated to empowering Connecticut residents to forge a better future for themselves and their families.
Yankee Institute supports HB 5427 because this policy change is likely to lead to better health insurance options for small businesses and their employees.
In a recent Yankee Institute report, Reforming Connecticut Healthcare after COVID, Dr. Robert Graboyes highlights this change as one way our state can help more residents receive better care year after year.[1] This effect would be more prominent if paired with further reforms, such as repealing certificate-of-need regulations, improved licensing processes, and continued telehealth expansion.
Small businesses across the country face immense difficulties financing health insurance costs.[2] Allowing them to better negotiate health insurance plans will improve competitiveness, provide improved benefits, lower healthcare costs, and encourage them to invest more into their businesses, making all of us better off.
Respectfully submitted,
Bryce Chinault
Director of External Affairs
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