Testimony of
Deacon David Reynolds
Associate Director of Public Policy
in Support of S.B. 3
AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY
Human Services Committee
Public Hearing
March 17, 2026
The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference, which represents the Catholic Bishops of Connecticut, supports S.B. 3 An Act Concerning Health Care Affordability in its goal to keep healthcare affordable for low-income individuals and families. Recent changes passed by Congress have left people in fear of losing their health care coverage. It is even more dramatic as we live in a time of continuingly rising health care costs.
S.B. 3 attempts to address the healthcare requirements of the neediest in our state. In this day and age, health care is, and should be, considered a basic human right. The resolution of concerns over abuse occurring in the Medicaid program should not be one in which those in true need are harmed. Abuse should be handled through legal steps to catch the abusers.
The purpose of S.B. 3 is to protect those within our state from the turmoil created by actions at the federal level. This bill creates two funds that will help our neediest citizens maintain their health care coverage. The Conference fully supports these efforts. One only must personally encounter a person with inadequate or no health care coverage to realize how terrifying this situation can be. Lack of health care also leads to a decline in preventive care, which eventually results in larger financial strains on our health care system and more serious medical complications.
The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred, and all people have inherent dignity and worth. The Catholic church has long held that all persons have the right to health care services. It is in this reality that we recognize that the right to health care is a fundamental necessity for the preservation of life and human flourishing.[1] As Pope Francis, reminded us, “health is not a luxury, it is for all.”[2]
This is why we need policies, such as those in S.B. 3, which ensure that low-income and vulnerable people can afford health care coverage and have the support they need. Programs like Medicaid, and those in S.B. 3, reflect the Church’s teaching on the preferential option for those who are poor and vulnerable.
The Conference encourages the Committee to vote “Yes” on S.B. 3.
[1] Pope John Paul II, Speech of the Holy Father John Paul II To the Congress of the Catholic Doctors, (7 July 2000)
[2] Pope Francis, Address to representatives of the National Federation of the Associations of Medical Radiology Health Technicians and Technical, Rehabilitation and Prevention Health Professions, (16 January 2023), available at https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/january/documents/20230116-federazione-tecnici-sanitari-html