Connecticut Insurance and Real Estate Committee raises 18 bill concepts, approves two sets by voice and roll call

Co-chair George Cabrera opened the committee's first meeting of the session and said the panel intended to "have a very robust conversation about the various issues that affect health." Co-chair Representative Kerry Wood outlined an initial package of 18 bill concepts the committee will consider, and the group approved two motions to formally "raise" (move forward) subsets of those concepts for drafting and public hearing.

The committee's nut graf: Members described the items as high-level concepts rather than final bills, and directed staff and the Office of Legislative Research to develop language and arrange public hearings. The concepts the committee previewed include changes to auto physical-damage arbitration, flood-insurance outreach and coverage options, safe-driving course eligibility, flex-rating oversight for auto insurers, assignment-of-benefits practices for roofing claims after storms, law-enforcement behavioral-health assessments and HIPAA protections, volunteer firefighter insurance language, transfer-on-death deeds for real property, and broader insurance modernization and transparency measures.

Representative Kerry Wood, co-chair, summarized the flood-insurance concept as an effort to "explore ways to potentially educate customers to look at getting flood insurance even if they're not in a flood zone" and to consider alerts at the point of sale so homeowners know whether flood coverage is included. Wood said the idea is to use public hearings to gather input from agents, brokers and consumers before drafting statutory language.

Representative Raheb Ali Bridal described a personal case he will bring to the committee as context for health-insurance reforms: he said a constituent, Daniel Pearson, had a life-saving cardiac procedure denied by Aetna despite peer-to-peer review, and that "no one should have to beg for lifesaving care." Several members emphasized affordability and consumer protections in health care and property-casualty markets. Senator Maura Marks (remarks) said she will "always put patients over profits," reflecting a stated priority of tighter oversight of insurer practices.

During discussion members identified specific topics they want staff to explore at public hearings: whether to lower the age for safe-driving discounts now offered to drivers 62 and older; whether flex-rating authority for automatic insurer rate adjustments should be extended or rescinded (it currently has a statutory sunset this year); how assignment-of-benefit arrangements interact with public adjusters and contractors after extreme-weather events; and whether Connecticut should allow transfer of real-property deeds at death (transfer-on-death) as 43 other states do, to reduce probate burdens.

Two formal motions followed. Senator Lesser moved to raise concepts numbered 1 through 8, 10 through 13, 15 and 16; the motion was seconded by Senator Marks and approved by voice vote. Later the committee moved to raise concepts 9, 14, 17 and 18; that motion was seconded by Representative Tammy Nuccio and decided by roll call. The roll call, as read into the record, recorded the following votes on the second motion: Rep. Kerry Wood: yes; Sen. George Cabrera: yes; Rep. Jill Berry: yes; Sen. Saud Anwar: yes; Rep. Pavlok Damato: yes; Sen. Wong: yes; Rep. Ali Brennan: yes; Rep. Tom Delnicki: yes; Rep. Steve Meskers: yes; Sen. Lesser: no; Sen. Marks: yes. Based on the recorded names the tally was 10 yes, 1 no; the motion passed.

Committee chairs emphasized that the concepts are preliminary. "These are concepts," Co-chair Cabrera said; "there'll be more than ample opportunity to debate the substance of each of these...as we roll out language." Members asked that drafts include clearer data and consumer protections, and that hearings solicit testimony from the insurance department, agents and consumer advocates.

The committee set the next meeting for January 21 at 10:30 a.m. and said it will keep votes open until 1 p.m. that day for members who cannot participate in person. No final statutory language, ordinance numbers or bill drafts were adopted at this meeting; the committee raised concepts for subsequent drafting and public hearings.

Ending: The meeting closed after the two motions and the scheduling announcement; sponsors and staff will return language to committee members ahead of the public hearings requested for each concept.