Lt. Gov.-elect Nancy Wyman stopped by and shook hands with the volunteers. She co-chaired the SustiNet Board with Kevin Lembo, who gets sworn in today as comptroller. Denise Merrill, who will be sworn in as attorney general, also shook hands with the volunteers.
In 2009, legislators created a SustiNet Board charged with coming up for a proposal for coming up with healthcare reform for the state. More than 200 volunteers from all over the state gave input on what the proposal should look like.
The final proposal will be turned over to the legislature on Jan. 7. Volunteers were at the Capitol to encourage legislators to vote for the proposal. The plan, according to Universal Healthcare Foundation of CT lobbyist Lynne Ide
– spends current healthcare dollars more wisely by using the bargaining power of large pools of state employees and state health programs like HUSKY and Medicaid
– provides incentives for all of a patient’s different healthcare providers to work together
– will eventually set up a healthcare pool that will essentially be the state’s version of a public option to municipalities, small businesses, non-profits and eventually individuals.