The Appropriations Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly has included $20 Million in its proposed budget to increase HUSKY dental reimbursement rates.

The line item in the Department of Social Services (DSS) budget (see link below) specifically targets rates paid to HUSKY providers. The Committee's budget was prepared in response to the Governor's budget, which did not increase HUSKY dental rates.

The amount proposed should be enough to raise HUSKY dental rates to the 70th percentile in the first year. Half ($10M) would be reimbursed by the Federal government. Please take a minute to thank the Appropriations Committee Chairs and your representative and/or Senator, if they are on the Committee. See the article to the right.

And a big THANK YOU to everyone who has worked hard to achieve our success so far. We're close and our goal is in sight !

Several things need to happen for us to achieve our goal of improved access to oral health care for HUSKY kids through fair dental rates.

• There must be money in the State's budget
  Right now the Appropriations Committee version of the budget has the money and the Governor's version does not. Look for more information in future COHI Alerts on how we can persuade Governor Rell to support helping HUSKY kids.
  
  
• The Legislature must approve language to implement setting rates at the 70th percentile
  Without the language DSS could set the rates lower, maybe too low to make a difference. These bills, approved by committee and now before the full General Assembly, contain the language: HB 7069, SB 1, SB 3, HB 7322 and HB 7375. HB 7069 is our dental-only bill, the others are health care improvement bills. The legislature may also include the language in the 'Implementer Bill" that puts the budget into effect.
  
  Because this is somewhat complicated, the best message to give to legislators and the Governor is "Please support raising HUSKY dental reimbursement rates to the 70th percentile". That covers all the bases.

Appropriations Member	Position	P	District	e-mail
S10 - Harp, Toni Nathaniel	Co-Chair	D	New Haven, West Haven	Harp@senatedems.ct.gov
054 - Merrill, Denise W.	Co-Chair	D	Chaplin, Mansfield	Denise.Merrill@cga.ct.gov
S15 - Hartley, Joan V.	Vice Chair	D	Naugatuck, Prospect, Waterbury	Hartley@senatedems.ct.gov
101 - Heinrich, Deborah W.	Vice Chair	D	Guilford, Madison	Deborah.Heinrich@cga.ct.gov
039 - Hewett, Ernest	Vice Chair	D	New London	Ernest.Hewett@cga.ct.gov
026 - Tercyak, Peter A.	Vice Chair	D	New Britain	Peter.Tercyak@cga.ct.gov
S24 - Cappiello, David J.	Ranking Member	R	Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman	David.Cappiello@cga.ct.gov
070 - DelGobbo, Kevin M.	Ranking Member	R	Naugatuck	Kevin.DelGobbo@housegop.ct.gov
S21 - Debicella, Dan	Member	R	Monroe, Seymour, Shelton, Stratford	Dan.Debicella@cga.ct.gov
S25 - Duff, Bob	Member	D	Norwalk, Darien	Duff@senatedems.ct.gov
S26 - Freedman, Judith G.	Member	R	Bethel, New Caanan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Wilton	Judith.G.Freedman@cga.ct.gov
S23 - Gomes, Edwin A.	Member	D	Bridgeport, Stratford	Gomes@senatedems.ct.gov
S04 - Handley, Mary Ann	Member	D	Bolton, Glastonbury, Manchester, Marlborough	Handley@senatedems.ct.gov
S05 - Harris, Jonathan A.	Member	D	West Hartford, Bloomfield, Burlington, Farmington	Harris@senatedems.ct.gov
S28 - McKinney, John	Member	R	Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston	John.McKinney@cga.ct.gov
S19 - Prague, Edith G.	Member	D	Andover, Bozrah, Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Norwich, Sprague	Prague@senatedems.ct.gov
S14 - Slossberg, Gayle S.	Member	D	Milford, Orange, West Haven	Slossberg@senatedems.ct.gov
103 - Adinolfi, Al	Member	R	Cheshire, Wallingford, Hamden	Al.Adinolfi@housegop.ct.gov
121 - Backer, Terry	Member	D	Stratford	Terry.Backer@cga.ct.gov
143 - Boucher, Antonietta	Member	R	Wilton, Norwalk	Toni.Boucher@cga.ct.gov
077 - Burns, Ron	Member	R	Bristol	Ron.Burns@housegop.ct.gov
095 - Candelaria, Juan R.	Member	D	New Haven	Juan.Candelaria@cga.ct.gov
086 - Candelora, Vincent J.	Member	R	Wallingford, Branford, East Haven	Vincent.Candelora@housegop.ct.gov
067 - Chapin, Clark J.	Member	R	New Milford	Clark.Chapin@housegop.ct.gov
124 - Clemons, Charles D.	Member	D	Bridgeport	Charles.Clemons@cga.ct.gov
071 - D'Amelio, Anthony J.	Member	R	Middlebury, Waterbury	Anthony.DAmelio@housegop.ct.gov
092 - Dillon, Patricia A.	Member	D	New Haven	Patricia.Dillon@cga.ct.gov
006 - Feltman, Art	Member	D	Hartford	Art.Feltman@cga.ct.gov
062 - Ferrari, Richard F.	Member	R	Barkhamsted, E. Granby, Granby, New Hartford	Richard.Ferrari@housegop.ct.gov
018 - Fleischmann, Andrew M.	Member	D	West Hartford	Andrew.Fleischmann@cga.ct.gov
010 - Genga, Henry	Member	D	East Hartford	henry.genga@cga.ct.gov
025 - Geragosian, John C.	Member	D	New Britain	John.Geragosian@cga.ct.gov
003 - Gonzalez, Minnie	Member	D	Hartford	Minnie.Gonzalez@cga.ct.gov
034 - Hamm, Gail K.	Member	D	East Hampton, middletown	Gail.Hamm@cga.ct.gov
120 - Harkins, John A.	Member	R	Stratford	John.Harkins@housegop.ct.gov
112 - Hovey, DebraLee	Member	R	Newtown, Monroe	DebraLee.Hovey@housegop.ct.gov
005 - Kirkley-Bey, Marie Lopez	Member	D	Hartford	Marie.Lopez.Kirkley-Bey@cga.ct.gov
008 - Lewis, Joan A.	Member	D	Coventry, Vernon, Columbia	Joan.Lewis@cga.ct.gov
047 - Malone, Jack	Member	D	Canterbury, Norwich, Scotland, Sprague	Jack.Malone@cga.ct.gov
007 - McCrory, Douglas	Member	D	Hartford	Douglas.McCrory@cga.ct.gov
027 - Nafis, Sandy H	Member	D	Newington	Sandy.Nafis@cga.ct.gov
035 - O'Connor, Brian J.	Member	D	Clinton, Killingworth, Westbrook	Brian.OConnor@cga.ct.gov
069 - O'Neill, Arthur J.	Member	R	Bridgewater, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington	Arthur.ONeill@housegop.ct.gov
048 - Orange, Linda A.	Member	D	Colchester, East Haddam	Linda.Orange@cga.ct.gov
042 - Reynolds, Tom	Member	D	Preston, Ledyard, Montville	Tom.Reynolds@cga.ct.gov
038 - Ritter, Elizabeth B.	Member	D	Waterford, Montville	Elizabeth.Ritter@cga.ct.gov
119 - Roy, Richard	Member	D	Milford	Richard.Roy@cga.ct.gov
139 - Ryan, Kevin	Member	D	Bozrah, Franklin, Lebanon, Montville	Kevin.Ryan@cga.ct.gov
135 - Stripp, John E.	Member	R	Easton, Redding, Weston	John.Stripp@housegop.ct.gov
013 - Thompson, John W.	Member	D	Manchester	Jack.Thompson@cga.ct.gov
145 - Truglia, Christel H.	Member	D	Stamford	Christel.Truglia@cga.ct.gov
043 - Urban, Diana S.	Member	D	North Stonington, Stonington	Diana.Urban@cga.ct.gov
093 - Walker, Toni E.	Member	D	New Haven	Toni.Walker@cga.ct.gov
106 - Wasserman, Julia B.	Member	R	Newtown	Julia.Wasserman@housegop.ct.gov
064 - Willis, Roberta B.	Member	D	Cornwall, Goshen, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington	Roberta.Willis@cga.ct.gov