Public Health Committee raises five concept bills including veterans’ neuromodulation funding and CON changes

The Connecticut General Assembly Public Health Committee on Feb. 14 voted to raise five concept proposals for public hearing, including a plan to fund neuromodulation treatments for veterans at the University of Connecticut and Office of Health Strategy (OHS) proposals to revise the health care cabinet and the Certificate of Need (CON) program.

The committee’s vote will allow language for each concept to go to a formal public hearing; the chairs said roll-call records from the meeting will remain open until 3 p.m. for members to finalize their votes. The five concepts placed for hearing were: funding for neuromodulation treatments for veterans at the University of Connecticut; a proposal on medical device representatives; licensure for international board-certified lactation consultants; OHS recommendations to revise the health care cabinet; and OHS recommendations regarding the CON program.

Representative Jenga, who introduced the neuromodulation concept, said the proposal would support a center of excellence at the University of Connecticut, with follow-up care at Hartford HealthCare/Hartford Hospital. “Over 60 percent of our veterans have chronic pain and they live with it today,” Representative Jenga said, adding that the treatment combines brain and spinal stimulation and that clinicians at a symposium reported successful outcomes for more than 70 percent of patients who have received the therapy. He also cited veteran suicide statistics…