State-sponsored health insurance options could help towns and cities across CT save property taxpayers big dollars. That was the message brought by State Comptroller Nancy Wyman and House Majority Leader Christopher Donovan to CCM’s Annual Meeting early this summer.

"We are here to try to assist, NOT to take over your health care plans," Wyman said emphatically.

Her office is coordinating the introduction of an Enhanced Municipal Employees Health Insurance Plan (MEHIP) that enables towns and cities to join with one another in a health insurance pool.

Effective July 1, the program offers coverage through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, as well as Oxford/United Healthcare and HealthNet.

Wyman said that under Enhanced MEHIP premium costs for a typical town would range from roughly $540 for an individual to roughly $1,450 for a family.

To ascertain their exact costs, towns must submit their rate history and claim history for the last two years. More information is available at www.mehip.org.

Donovan, who is expected to become House Speaker in January 2009, discussed the bill he championed that would have given municipalities the option of joining the same plan the state offers its employees.

He thanked CCM for "being a great partner" in developing the details of the plan, which at CCM’s urging was written to guarantee that municipal participation would be entirely voluntary.

Donovan said the bill already had succeeded and attracted a response from the state’s insurance providers and proven "we’re all in this together."

The bill was vetoed by Governor Rell who said she liked the concept but was concerned is would result in increased costs to the state budget. She urged legislators to submit a revised version next year.