HES’ 2025 Policy Priorities
Each year, HES publishes a policy agenda to inform advocates, policymakers, and community partners about the key priorities we will focus on in the year ahead. This year, our agenda highlights four key areas and was informed by feedback from 304 Connecticut residents across 44 towns and cities. This feedback helped deepen our understanding of the needs, challenges, and aspirations of the people we serve.
Through surveys and in-person conversations, we learned that while the struggles faced by Connecticut residents are unique to each individual or household, they are not facing them alone. Analyzing their collective experiences reinforced our understanding that the fight for health equity is not just about one issue—whether it’s access to care, racial justice, or economic opportunity—but about all of them.
We are happy to share our 2025 Policy Agenda:
Health Equity Solutions’ 2025 Policy Agenda*
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Address Health-Related Social & Economic Needs: Promote policy solutions that ensure the basic needs of all residents are met to attain their optimal health.
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Advocate for Improvements in Health Care Affordability: Pursue policies that protect, restore, and promote pathways to affordable and accessible coverage options.
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Promote a Comprehensive & Integrated Health Care System: Advance access to culturally responsive and integrated care.
- Advance the Implementation of Anti-Racist Policies & Practices: Ensure equity-focused policy victories are implemented with community input.
Here’s how you can stay engaged:
➡️ Join the Conversation! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates on our 2025 policy priorities.
➡️ Share your Story! HES will be hosting testimony workshops to support our bill on hospital financial assistance. If you or a loved one have experienced medical debt from a hospital stay and would like to share your story, we encourage you to participate. Click here to connect with our Community Engagement Manager, Katia Daley (Kdaley@hesct.org).
➡️ Bookmark this Webpage! Here, you can access resources, learn how to draft testimony, and see more about medical debt and hospital financial assistance policy!
➡️ Subscribe! Sign up to receive our action alerts and subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest HES updates.
Make Hospital Financial Assistance: Simple Accessible Equitable
Hospital Financial Assistance 101
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 6889: An Act Concerning Evictions for Cause
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 6937, An Act Concerning Medicaid Coverage for Medically Necessary Children’s Diapers
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 7022: An Act Promoting Equity in Medicaid Coverage For Fertility Health Care
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 7212: An Act Concerning the Trust Act and in Opposition of H.B. 7211: An Act Concerning Civil Immigration Detainers for Persons Who Are Charged with the Commission of a Class A, B or C Felony or a Family Violence Crime
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 1394: An Act Concerning the Provision of Health Care Services to Inmates in Correctional Institutions
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 6871: An Act Limiting Out-of-Network Health Care Costs
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 7191: An Act Concerning Medicaid Rate Increases, Planning and Sustainability
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 7213: An Act Concerning Access to Reproductive Health Care
- Testimony in Support of H.B. 7214: An Act Concerning Maternal Health
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 1192: An Act Concerning Hospital Financial Assistance
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 1469: An Act Concerning Medical Debt and S.B. 1470: An Act Concerning Medicaid Reimbursement for Community Health Worker Services.
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 10: An Act Concerning Health Insurance and Patient Protection
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 1217: An Act Providing School Meals to All Students
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 1366: An Act Concerning Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Prescription Drug Rebate Reporting
- Testimony in support of S.B. 1506: An Act Concerning Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 806: An Act Expanding Medicaid Coverage for Treatment of Certain Emergency Medical Conditions
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 12: An Act Concerning Connecticut's Housing Needs & H.B. 5002: An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons
- Testimony in Support of SB-740: An Act Establishing a Refundable Child Tax Credit & HB-5986: An Act Establishing A Refundable Child Tax Credit Against The Personal Income Tax
- Testimony in Support of Senate Joint Resolution No. 35: Resolution Proposing a State Constitutional Amendment Concerning Discrimination on the Basis of Sex Under the Equal Protection Clause
- Testimony in Support of SJ-36: A Resolution Proposing a State Constitutional Amendment Concerning Environmental Rights
- Testimony in Support of S.B. 1299: An Act Concerning Medicaid-Covered Dental Care & H.B. 6101: An Act Concerning Medicaid Coverage of Food as Medicine and Expanding Access to the Connecticut Farmers' Market/Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program
In 2025, Health Equity Solutions submitted testimony on 24 bills relevant to our 2025 Policy Priorities, our partners, and our mission of pursuing anti racist policies and practices.
Thanks to all of you who showed up, spoke up, and fought hard for health equity. The following summary notes the status of each bill HES testified on:
Hospital Financial Assistance 2025 Legislative Session
Medical debt remains a prevalent barrier and a priority of the communities we survey. In coalition with partners, we championed legislative language to improve hospital financial assistance policies, which was included in section 182 of HB 7287, now Public Act (PA) 25-168.
This new law creates a statewide online hospital financial assistance portal housed by the Office of the Healthcare Advocate. The portal will include:
- A screening tool to determine eligibility for hospital financial assistance
- Guidance to apply for hospital financial assistance
- Information on how to avoid future medical debt
It also directs the Office of the Healthcare Advocate to work with advocates to develop recommendations and identify solutions to prevent medical debt for CT residents.
To all who joined in this effort: congratulations and thank you! Your continued engagement and support is invaluable in shaping the decisions and policies that impact our communities and our state. A special note of gratitude to the Health Equity for the People by the People Coalition. We are grateful for your enthusiastic and powerful advocacy and look forward to continuing our work together to advance health equity.
✅New Laws That Promote Equity✅
- Senate Bill (SB) 1506: AN ACT CONCERNING RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMPACT STATEMENTS is now PA 25-27. HES is grateful for the work of the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health on this important effort to embed equity in policymaking.
- House Bill (HB) 7213: AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE, is now PA 25-28. This law protects privacy and access to reproductive health services.
- HB 7214: AN ACT CONCERNING MATERNAL HEALTH, included (1) a task force to study perinatal mental health care, (2) a report card for birth centers and hospitals providing maternity care, and (3) an advisory committee to study doula-friendly practices in hospitals. All sections passed—sections 1 and 3 are now SA25-7, while section 2 was embedded in section 124 of HB 7287, now PA 25-168.
- SB 10: AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE AND PATIENT PROTECTION includes many provisions to advance health equity, including: (1) establishing reporting requirements and enforcement of compliance with mental health and substance use disorder benefit laws, (2) creating a mental health parity advancement account; (3) requiring health insurance to prove certain health care services under adverse determination or utilization review are not medically necessary; and more. This bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature and will become PA 25-94.
- HB 7192: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BIPARTISAN DRUG TASK FORCE implements recommendations of the bipartisan drug task force, including policies related to pharmacy benefit managers, rebate transparency, a prescription drug shortage taskforce, a pharmacist compensation workgroup, Canadian drug importation feasibility, patient credit for certain drug expenses, and a state agency drug purchasing consortium. This bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature and will become PA 25-167.
- HB 7212: AN ACT CONCERNING THE TRUST ACT AND PROHIBITED STATE CONTRACTS did not pass; however, some sections (including a civil right of private action for violations of the state’s trust act laws) were included in HB 7259: AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO VARIOUS STATUTES CONCERNING CRIMINAL JUSTICE, which is awaiting signature and will become PA 25-29.
❌Health Equity Legislation That Did Not Pass❌
- HB 5002: AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING AND THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS, a robust housing bill that aimed to reduce housing costs passed both chambers of the General Assembly, but was vetoed by the Governor. The legislature may revise the bill and re-submit it within 90 days.
- SB 1470: AN ACT CONCERNING TWICE ANNUAL REPORTING BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ON MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER SERVICES would have required the Department of Social Services to report twice annually on compliance with a law requiring Medicaid reimbursement for community health workers. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Human Services Committee.
- HB 6937: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR MEDICALLY NECESSARY CHILDREN’S DIAPERS. This bill was not heard or evaluated by the Appropriations Committee.
- HB 1394: AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO INMATES IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS would have required evaluations of and reports concerning the provision of health care services to inmates in correctional facilities. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Public Health Committee.
- SB 1366: AN ACT CONCERNING PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS & PRESCRIPTION DRUG REBATE REPORTING aimed to (1) prohibit certain provisions in pharmacy services contracts between pharmacy benefits managers and health carriers; (2) establish a duty of care for pharmacy benefits managers; and (3) impose additional reporting requirements on the Insurance Department concerning prescription drug rebates. It had a public hearing but did not pass out of the Insurance Committee.
- SB 1469: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAL DEBT, would have protected spouses from inheriting medical debt upon their spouse’s death. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Human Services Committee.
- SB 1217: AN ACT PROVIDING SCHOOL MEALS TO ALL CHILDREN, would have provided free school meals to all school-aged children. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Joint Committee on Children.
- SB 806: AN ACT EXPANDING MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR TREATMENT OF CERTAIN EMERGENCY MEDICAL CONDITIONS, would have required emergency Medicaid coverage for additional medical conditions. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Human Services Committee.
- HB 7191: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID RATE INCREASES, PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY aimed to phase in increased reimbursement for Medicaid providers over three years in accordance with a rate study commissioned by the Department of Social Services. It had a public hearing and passed favorably out of the Human Services Committee, and the House of Representatives.
- HB 6870: AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCRIPTION DRUG ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Insurance Committee.
- HB 6871: AN ACT LIMITING OUT-OF-NETWORK HEALTH CARE COSTS. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Insurance Committee.
- HB 6101: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID COVERAGE OF FOOD AS MEDICINE AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE CONNECTICUT FARMERS’ MARKET/WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN NUTRITION PROGRAM aimed to expand access to fruits and vegetables for families with low incomes. It had a public hearing.
- HB 7022: AN ACT PROMOTING EQUITY IN MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR FERTILITY HEALTH CARE aimed to expand Medicaid coverage for fertility care. It had a public hearing.
- SB 1299: AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID-COVERED DENTAL CARE aimed to expand preventive adult oral health services covered under Medicaid and require that Medicaid payment be made for eligible dental services and procedures at mobile dental clinics and school-based health centers. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Human Services Committee.
- HB 6889: AN ACT CONCERNING EVICTIONS FOR CAUSE aimed to require cause for the eviction of certain tenants and residents of mobile manufactured home parks. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Housing Committee.
- SB 12: AN ACT CONCERNING CONNECTICUT’S HOUSING NEEDS promoted equitable housing opportunities in every community in the state. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Housing Committee.
- SB 11: AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCRIPTION DRUG ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY aimed to increase access to affordable health care. This bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Human Services Committee but died because it was not called in the Senate. Thankfully, some of the key provisions have been included in the biennium budget implementer.
- SB 7: AN ACT CONCERNING PROTECTIONS FOR ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND THE EQUITABLE DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THE STATE. The bill’s purpose was to protect continued access to health care and the equitable delivery of health care services in the state. This bill had a public hearing, passed out of the Public Health Committee, and was adopted by the Senate. The House amended it to remove a provision and passed it back to the Senate. Unfortunately, the bill died because it was not called again in the Senate. Thankfully, many of the key provisions were included in the biennium budget implementer.
- SB 740: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE CHILD TAX CREDIT had a public hearing.
- HB 5986: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE CHILD TAX CREDIT AGAINST THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX would have established a refundable child tax credit. It had a public hearing.
- SRJ 35: RESOLUTION PROPOSING A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX UNDER THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE. The bill had a public hearing and passed out of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
- SJR 36: RESOLUTION PROPOSING A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CONCERNING ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS had a public hearing and passed out of the Government Administration and Elections Committee.
Thank you to all of our partners for their support and advocacy during this legislative session. Thank you for showing up, amplifying community voice, and shedding light on real-life experiences. We are grateful for your partnership.
As we continue to navigate this journey together, let us remain committed to our shared vision of a future where everyone can access affordable and dignified healthcare.
Questions? Comments? Something we missed? Let us know!
