House passes budget mitigation plan

Yesterday the House approved a plan to address the $371 million deficit in this year’s state budget. The Senate will vote on the plan today and the Governor is expected to sign it. The bill includes freezing subsidized enrollments in the Charter Oak program at the end of this month; consumers paying full cost will still be enrolled and people enrolled before May 1st will continue to receive premium subsidies. The bill also increases copays on children in the HUSKY Part B program, cuts over the counter drugs, and limits eyeglasses to one per year for all programs. The bill also makes changes to the definition of medical necessity for services in all programs.
Ellen Andrews