In January, just weeks into the legislative session, key lawmakers -- frustrated with soaring rate increases on long-term care insurance plans -- pledged urgent reform to bring relief to Connecticut's struggling policyholders.
They followed up with 17 bills that cover a wide range of proposals, from placing caps on annual rate hikes to providing tax credits for consumers and requiring the state to hold public hearings when insurers seek price increases. Five legislative committees advanced measures with bipartisan support, some that included broad consumer protections and cost savings.
But with three weeks left in the regular session, proponents are still trying to figure out what -- if any -- changes may move forward this year. Some proposals, like tax credits and deductions, have been weighed down by hefty price tags. In other cases, a lack of consensus and political will have hampered efforts.
"Here we are, the insurance capital of the world, and we have long-term care insurance that's so expensive, it's not even worth having," said Rep. Lucy Dathan, a Norwalk Democrat who is co-chair of the Government Oversight Committee, which passed a bill on the issue in March. "It feels like such an injustice. We need to figure this out."
"We've been patient for years, and to not have something meaningful pass this session, I'm very concerned," said Kenneth Kollmeyer, 75, whose annual insurance payments have climbed to $7,600 for his policy and his wife's, more than double what they paid when they purchased the coverage in 2004. Their policies are set to increase again next year.
Nearly 100,000 people in Connecticut have long-term care insurance -- coverage that, depending on the policy, supports skilled in-home care, rehabilitation therapy, assisted living, nursing home stays and respite care.
A Connecticut Mirror investigation found the annual cost of maintaining these policies has skyrocketed for many residents due to miscalculations by insurers on how long people would live, the price of care and how many would need it. Consumers face sizable rate increases, often exceeding 50% and, for a few dozen people, as high as 174%, according to a CT Mirror analysis.
The state insurance commissioner would have to come up with a calculation for the new cost-sharing responsibility.
"We're giving relief to people who have seen repeated increases from their insurance companies," Lesser, co-chair of the Human Services Committee, said. "And we're saying that, as you get hit more and more by your insurance company, we're going to ask the company to eat more of the cost instead of passing it on to the policyholder."
Sen. Jorge Cabrera, co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, which also passed legislation in March, said he's in the process of "grabbing different elements" of the bills that advanced to create one proposal with consensus. What that could look like is still in flux.
"I want to do something, because it's a big issue that everyone's dealing with, regardless of party," he said.