Opinion: MCOs still a bad idea, New Haven Register

On behalf of Rep. Peter Villano, his wife urges Governor Lamont not to reverse 12 years of progress in HUSKY in a Letter to the Editor of the New Haven Register last week. Peter was the legislative champion who fought for over a decade to move private insurers/MCOs out of HUSKY, and since then the program has flourished and so have the million state residents who rely on it. Peter died earlier this year at age 100.

The text of the letter:

Letter to the Editor, New Haven Register

Published Wednesday, October 16, 2024 — Opinion page A 11

MCOs still a bad idea

Governor Lamont is reportedly considering returning our state’s successful HUSKY program to the failed MCO model run by private insurers. My husband, former State Rep. Peter Villano, was the legislative champion that toppled the MCOs from the program in 2012. Unfortunately, Peter passed away earlier this year at 100 years old. So, I must speak for him – Don’t do this.

Started by the John Rowland administration, HUSKY was run by MCOs for 16 years and it was a disaster. Legislators’ phone lines were swamped with calls from patients who couldn’t get care. Doctors couldn’t get paid, were suing the MCOs, and dropped out of the program. An independent audit found the state was massively overpaying the insurers. Peter worked with advocates and providers all through those 16 years to restore the program that now covers a million people in our state. He never gave up.

Because of Peter’s efforts with advocates and providers, HUSKY is a national leader for both quality and cost control. Taxpayers have saved billions of dollars since MCOs left the program. Going back to MCOs is a terrible idea, the first 16 years of a disastrously, privately run HUSKY, proved that to be true.

Florence R. Villano, North Haven