Health cost bill advances in Connecticut

A legislative committee has removed a roadblock to an effort to make health insurance more affordable for Connecticut municipalities. Because of a revision to the bill, the Municipal Employees Health Insurance Plan will be converted to a self-funded plan unregulated by the Connecticut Insurance Department. State Comptroller Nancy Wyman testified at a hearing that language in the bill enabling the department to amend or reject the proposed plan could cripple the effort to make healthcare more affordable.