State Senator Jorge Cabrera (D-Hamden), Senate Chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, called for a debate on universal health care as Connecticut's insurance regulators consider proposed rate increases affecting 220,000 residents.

Cabrera said, "The debate we should be having around health insurance in Connecticut is not whether rates are going up 12% or 14% or 16%, but when are we going to enact universal health care for all. That's the debate. Health care must be a right, and not just a privilege. That's the solution to our constant handwringing about access and affordability."

The state's insurance regulators consideed the rate requests at a public hearing Wednesday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Anthem is seeking an average increase of 12.8 percent for individual plans and 17.4 percent for small group plans. ConnectiCare is seeking an average increase of 22.7 percent for individual plans, and UnitedHealthcare is seeking an average increase of 18.9 percent for small group plans.

Cabrera was elected in 2020 to represent the 17th Senate district, which covers parts of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, and Woodbridge.