Healthcare

Kara believes that healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and high quality for all.

Over the past six years, Kara has delivered:

• Expanded HUSKY to all children through age 12

• Created a new low-cost health insurance plan for up to 40,000 Connecticut families

• Co-authored the bill for full health insurance coverage for early detection and diagnostics for breast and ovarian cancer—no premiums, no co-pays, no barriers to finding cancer early

• Continued telehealth options, so healthcare is accessible easier

• Created 24/7 mobile crisis intervention programs

• $1.34 million for Griffin Hospital to replace an emergency generator

• Required the Office of Health Care Strategy to ensure health care dollars go towards providing quality care and to keep prescription drug costs down

• Invested millions in expanding children’s mental health programs across the state and in our community

• Required health insurers to offer health enhancement plans where they encourage preventative care—saving money and improving health outcomes

• Established a physician recruitment working group for retaining and expanding primary care, psychiatric, and behavior health providers

• Expanded funding for school paraeducators to pay for their health insurance

• Supported and advocated for the creation of the Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate to help providers and patients navigate our insurance system

• Extended health insurance coverage for newborns from 61 days to 91 days

• Supported the creation of an early detection screening program for lung cancer

• Supported the creation of an early detection screening program for endometriosis

• Supported and advocated to create a statewide Drug Discount Program, ensuring residents can afford the medications they need

• Supported the Growing the Professional Healthcare Workforce Public Act 23-97, which

  • Encourages careers in K-12 schools

  • Offers nursing licenses at our colleges

  • Creates opportunities among our existing personal care attendant workforce

  • Incentivizes providers with 10+ years experience to become adjunct faculty at CT State Colleges

  • Limits noncompete agreements for physicians, nurses, and physician assistants

  • Improves and eases licensing requirements for nurses and physical therapists moving to CT

  • Partners with additional states for clinical training opportunities  

Supporting Patients & Families (23-97)

• Ensures access to fertility treatments

• Expands Medicaid coverage to long-term contraceptives

• New Mental Health toolkits for parents

• Requires EMTs to be trained and carry EpiPens to be used in an emergency

• Requires efficient and faster transfer of patient records between healthcare facilities

Healthcare & Clean Air (PA 23-31)

• Expands eligibility for assisted living services

• Creates better data collection and reporting on asbestos abatement

• Strengthens lead poisoning treatment for children under 6

These efforts build on work Kara did in her first term, including capping the cost of insulin and mandating insurance coverage for pre-existing health conditions.

Illnesses of the brain must be treated as seriously as illnesses of the body, that is why Kara helped pass legislation to require insurance companies to cover both to the same standard.

Kara will continue the fight against the powerful health insurance lobby to make sure that each resident has access to affordable healthcare.