Hartford Business Journal

8 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 14, 2025 Politics & Policy (Left photo) Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding Jr. (R-Brookfield) and House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) speak at HBJ's Politics & Policy legislative forum. (Right) Gov. Ned Lamont discusses the recently passed two-year, $55.8 billion state budget at HBJ's Politics & Policy legislative forum. HBJ Photos | Luke Wayne Photography At HBJ forum, Lamont, legislative leaders debate CT's struggling health insurance market, AI regulations million people. … I just can't get my arms around" Connecticut being one of the first states to regulate AI. Efforts to regulate AI failed during the recently completed legislative session. Senate Bill 2 was sponsored by Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), who has established himself as the General Assembly's AI expert. Of particular concern to the busi- ness community was the regulatory framework the bill proposed for the private sector's use of AI technology. For example, it required companies to create impact assessments on AI technology they're developing or using, with the attorney general acting as an enforcer. The bill singled out developers and users of "high-risk AI" that makes, or is a controlling factor in making, a consequential decision on employ- ment opportunities or financial, loan, healthcare, housing, insurance or legal services. Harding said the bill tried to do too many things. "I think there are smaller aspects of the bill that we can all agree upon that don't seem overreaching, (like crimi- nalizing) revenge porn and things like that," Harding said. "I think there are aspects of the bill that we probably all support on a bipartisan basis that are smaller steps, that are just logical." "But to the Speaker's point," he continued, "I think that I have trepida- tion, as the Governor has mentioned as well, in signing into law something that has overreaching impacts." Harding said regulation is better left to the federal government. Harding and Ritter said they doubt a comprehensive AI regulation bill would have enough support to pass in the legislature in the near future. By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com G ov. Ned Lamont was sworn into office in January 2019, and now six years later he's still vexed by the issue of shrinking health insurance options for businesses. During Hartford Business Journal's inaugural Politics & Policy forum held in late June, the topic of business health insurance was discussed both during a fireside chat with Lamont and a conversation with House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) and Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding Jr. (R-Brookfield). Asked about a previous proposal to create a state-operated public option, a controversial bill that never got very far in the General Assembly, Lamont offered mixed thoughts, but acknowl- edged the challenge of Connecticut still being considered a top insurance industry hub. Stating that while Connecticut has some of "the very best health care in the country," with "amazingly good hospital systems," Lamont said that the lobbyists for those systems "are pretty powerful." "Let me tell you, anytime I make a suggestion, 50 doctors will call up a legislator, and it's done," he said. Lamont said he would support legislation to allow small companies and associations to form groups to purchase more affordable health insur- ance. Bills seeking to allow so-called "association health plans" have failed during recent legislative sessions. "The association plan, it's a good idea," Lamont said. "Anytime you can get a little purchasing power for small business, that doesn't bother me." The governor said he would like to see "some ideas from the business community about how we can go forward," and would like to see hospi- tals and insurers take the lead on that, perhaps "coming up with a preferred network, where people are directed or go to places where you get a lot better value." Following the governor's remarks, Ritter and Harding also weighed in on what's becoming an increas- ingly shrinking commercial health insurance market. In recent months, Farmington-based insurer ConnectiCare announced it will be ending its self-funded, level- funded and large group fully insured insurance business in Connecticut. Meantime, Aetna, Cigna/Oscar Health, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare and ConnectiCare have also exited the fully insured small group market since 2022. That has left just two carriers — Anthem and UnitedHealthcare — providing fully insured plans to small employers, which has contributed to higher costs for companies with 50 or fewer workers, experts say. Ritter responded to a question about the issue by praising Rep. Kerry Wood (D-Rocky Hill), who co-chairs the legislature's Insurance and Real Estate Committee and has been a champion for allowing association health plans in the state. Ritter said he supports the concept, but he also acknowledged there are some Democrats who are opposed to it and have blocked the legislation from passing. "In our caucus, there are some people who are against any notion of it, no matter how much we change it and account for their concerns," Ritter said. "But I think in the House, we continue to try to push that policy." Ritter said critics of association health plans worry, among other things, they will draw people — partic- ularly healthier patients — away from the state's Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange, Access Health CT. Some Democrats have also raised concerns about potential weaker consumer protections under association health plans, though past proposals required compliance with ACA standards. Harding said he supports the proposal for association health plans, and even identified it as a top priority for the 2026 legislative session, which begins Feb. 4. "It would allow organizations to kind of collaborate with smaller employers together, and then be able to negotiate with the insurance companies in that manner to create a much better plan," Harding said. He added that the legislation would help small businesses compete by enabling them to offer more affordable health insurance benefits, making it easier to attract workers. AI trepidation Among other topics state legis- lative leaders discussed at HBJ's Politics and Policy event was artificial intelligence regulation. There was bipartisan support against it. Lamont, Ritter, Harding and state Department of Economic and Community Development Commis- sioner Daniel O'Keefe all expressed concerns about Connecticut attempting to be on the forefront of AI regulation. "I always worry about Connecticut going about it on its own," Ritter said. "Connecticut is a small state of 3.5

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