Sen. Kane Named to Bipartisan Health Panel

Sen. Rob Kane (R-Watertown) has been appointed to serve on the state legislature’s bipartisan Round Table on Hospitals and Health Care.

The goal of the round table is to reach out to policy makers, hospitals, physicians, hospital and health facility employees and staff, patient advocates, health insurers, local officials and other stakeholders to monitor the implementation of recent legislation, discuss the rapid changes in the health care market and develop policy recommendations to help ensure continued access to affordable quality care in Connecticut.

This year, the legislature passed a law which requires any new for-profit hospital to provide continued access to high-quality, affordable care. The new law also ensures greater oversight of large physician practice acquisitions by hospitals and other entities by requiring the purchaser to obtain a Certificate of Need from the Office of Health Care Access.

Sen. Kane, who also serves on the legislature’s Public Health Committee, said he was honored to have been selected to participate on the panel.

“This panel is a way for Democrats and Republicans to come together on a regular basis to discuss how our health care systems and our hospitals are operating,” Sen. Kane said. “I will be focusing on health care accessibility and affordability. My goal, as always, is to protect the best interests of the all the taxpayers I represent. I encourage area residents to contact me with any thoughts and concerns they may have about Connecticut’s hospitals and health care system.”

The panel’s first meeting took place on Oct. 9 in the Legislative Office Building.