Recent health care cuts by Congress and the uncertainty of additional cuts have placed health care funding under considerable strain. In these uncertain times, Connecticut cannot afford to gamble with its health care system.
Our state is already navigating provider shortages, higher operating costs, and tightening federal support. The most irresponsible move we could make is to embrace government-heavy experiments that have failed elsewhere. Whether it is called Connecticut Option, single-payer, public option, universal or government-run, these approaches consistently underdeliver and instead bring higher costs, fewer choices, and market instability.
As insurance brokers, we work every day with employers and families across the state and see firsthand the costly impacts of these mandates and one-size-fits-all designs. Costs are shifted, employers face higher premiums and fewer options, employees shoulder a greater share of out-of-pocket burdens, and small and midsize businesses that are integral to Connecticut’s economy lose the flexibility they need to sustain coverage.
When plan designs are boxed in by blanket rules, innovation stalls and competition withers, leaving consumers with fewer choices and diminished bargaining power. Government intervention that lessens competition doesn’t mean better care; it means the opposite.
We must also acknowledge the strain and fragility within Connecticut’s own market. Several carriers have already left the state, and today we have only three remaining in the fully-insured market – and just one carrier serving both the individual and small-group segments.
That is not the picture of a healthy competitive market. Connecticut policymakers should be urgently examining why carriers departed, what policies or mandates pushed them out, and what reforms could bring additional competition back into the system. More carriers and more choice are the surest path to downward pressure on premiums and upward pressure on innovation. What we cannot afford is to further shrink the market and risk losing the carriers we have, lest we end up with no choice but a government-run health-care model, which is no choice at all.
Experiences from other states are a warning Connecticut should heed. Public options in progressive states like Washington and Colorado launched with the promise of affordability, but instead have struggled with higher-than-expected premiums and disappointingly low enrollment, placing stress on the private market that millions still rely upon. Single-payer proposals, meanwhile, carry staggering price tags, require sweeping federal waivers, and hinge on new and substantial revenue streams.
In an era of federal belt-tightening, the notion that Washington D.C. will backstop a state-run system is unrealistic. The result is predictable: higher taxes or deep reimbursement cuts that drive providers away, longer wait times, and fewer access points, especially in rural and underserved communities.
There is a better path. Connecticut should build on what works. Empowering employers with a range of sustainable plan options, including responsible self- and level-funded models with strong consumer safeguards, can preserve choice while effectively lowering costs. By focusing on outcomes, preventing avoidable utilization, and steering care to the most effective settings, we can deliver real savings without sacrificing access.
We share policymakers’ goal of making health care more affordable and accessible. But sweeping government-controlled systems would take Connecticut in the wrong direction at the worst possible time. The lesson from elsewhere is clear: when government concentrates control over plan design and pricing, competition diminishes, provider networks shrink, and patients wait longer for care. Connecticut should not repeat those mistakes.
Prudence, partnership, and proven reforms are what our state needs now. By working hand-in-hand with employers, providers, carriers, and brokers, Connecticut can improve affordability and access while preserving the choice and competition that protect patients. Let’s build on what’s working and keep care accessible, affordable, and reliable for the people and businesses who make our state strong.
Julie Chubet is President of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (Connecticut Chapter) NABIP-CT.