CONNECTICUT: The Human Services Committee is giving strong consideration to two measures that would go a long way toward lowering health care costs and improving health care quality. One bill would use federal funds to create incentives for hospitals to institute a system of electronic medical records in their facilities. By moving away from paper and toward a more technologically advanced system, quality would be improved, with doctors gaining instantaneous access to patients’ medical records. It would also reduce the frequency of adverse drug interactions and unnecessary tests and services, and it would also reduce costs by creating significant new efficiencies.  The Human Services Committee also is considering a bill that would help reduce the current cost shift from public sector health programs to private employers. The bill would release funds previously earmarked for SAGA rate increases. Reducing the current cost shift would allow private-sector employers to better afford health insurance for their employees and decrease the number of uninsured in the state.

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