The Stamford and Bridgeport Latino Committees for Health Care Reform celebrated the recent SustiNet victory in the state legislature and were thanked for their advocacy efforts during the year.

Here are some key SustiNet-related highlights of the bill passed by state legislators this past session:
• A new SustiNet Health Care Cabinet will be established in the Lt. Governor’s office to coordinate state and federal health, as well as to promote initiatives to improve health and spend the state’s health care dollars more wisely.

• A Office of Health Reform and Innovation will be established in the Lt. Governor’s office to provide support to the Cabinet and function as the state’s central coordinator of health policy.

• A business plan will be produced for a nonprofit, public health insurance option, to be completed by October 2012.

• The state employee health insurance pool will be open to municipalities beginning in 2012 and to qualified non-profits in 2013.

The bill puts the state on the path to affordable health care coverage for all.