Connecticut
Opinion: When getting care means going into debt
The email is sitting in my inbox like a countdown clock: $5,000 due to secure my surgery date. Another $7,000 required on the day of the procedure. Before even getting there, I had already paid $800 just for a consultation and thousands more from emergency room visits, trying to manage the pain.
As a college student in a single-parent household, these costs are not just overwhelming; they are destabilizing. For my family, this isn’t just a medical decision; it’s a financial crisis that affects bills, groceries, and basic stability.
This isn’t an unusual story; it’s what accessing healthcare looks like for too many people in Connecticut today. When the cost of care becomes this overwhelming, patients are forced to make impossible choices: delay treatment, go into debt, or simply go without.
This is why Connecticut lawmakers must pass SB3: An Act Concerning Health Care Affordability. The bill directly addresses one of the most urgent public health issues in our state: the rising cost of healthcare and the barriers it creates for everyday citizens. SB3 is not just a general attempt to “lower costs.” It proposes specific, actionable solutions.
The bill would establish a Connecticut Affordable Health Care Trust Fund to stabilize costs and protect residents from rising premiums, particularly as federal subsidies become uncertain. It also includes a “Connecticut Option” program designed to expand access to more affordable insurance coverage and, in the short term, replace federal premium subsidies for many residents earning up to 600% of the federal poverty level.
Healthcare affordability is not just an economic issue; it is a public health crisis. According to a report from theKaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of U.S. adults report difficulty affording healthcare, and many delay or skip necessary services as a result. These delays can lead to worsening conditions, more emergency visits, and higher long-term costs for both patients and the healthcare system. In my case, postponing treatment for endometriosis only led to repeated ER visits, each one adding to the financial and physical burden.
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Ella Nocera-DeJulioConnecticut is not immune to these trends. Reports show that residents across the state, especially those with low and moderate incomes, struggle with high premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs. Even those with insurance often face significant financial barriers when seeking care. This reality contradicts the very purpose of a healthcare system: to provide timely, effective treatment without causing financial harm.
Some critics argue that bills like SB3 could increase government spending or place additional strain on healthcare providers. Others question whether it goes far enough, pointing out gaps in coverage, such as limited inclusion of certain populations. These concerns deserve attention, but they do not outweigh the urgency of the problem. In fact, SB3 is designed as both a short-term solution to stabilize costs and a long-term framework to explore broader reforms.
Passing SB3 would help more than just individual patients. When people can afford regular checkups and early treatment, long-term illnesses are easier to manage, fewer people end up in the emergency room, and healthcare costs go down overall. This leads to healthier communities and a better-functioning healthcare system. In simpler terms, making healthcare more affordable isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also a smart decision.
My experience is just one example, but it reflects a much larger issue affecting communities across Connecticut. No one should have to delay a necessary surgery or accumulate thousands of dollars in debt just to receive basic medical care. Healthcare shouldn’t be something only available to people who can afford it, but a basic right supported by strong and effective policies.
Connecticut has a real chance to fix a system that is clearly not working for many people. Passing SB3 would help lower costs and make it easier for residents to get the care they need without financial stress. It’s time for lawmakers to take action and make healthcare more affordable and accessible for everyone.
Ella Nocera-DeJulio is a sophomore at Sacred Heart University, majoring in Health Sciences, concentrating in Occupational Therapy.
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
WASHINGTON (7News) — A Park Police chase ends with a moped rider getting hit and killed on the Taft Bridge in Northwest D.C.
7News’ Washington, D.C. reporter, Phylicia Ashley, went to the scene moments after it happened Saturday evening and spoke to multiple witnesses.
Ximen DeFillippes was riding her bike near Woodley Road when she saw the chase.
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“The Park Police passed me. We were on Woodley Road. And then I saw the car they were pursuing,” said DeFillippes. “It was going very fast on the sidewalk. It drove up on the sidewalk up Woodley Road.”
DeFilippes was on one side of the Taft Bridge.
“I’d never seen anything that crazy,” said DeFillippes. “It was, it was like really like homicidal. It was just insane. I’ve never seen anything like that.”
7News also saw the aftermath of the chase and found Lamont Penry on the other side of the bridge. He also saw the chase. It ended on the steps of the Chinese Embassy staff housing.
“The car crashed into the diplomatic car,” Penry said. “A young man jumps out, takes off running down the street. The other three guys came out kind of dizzy. They apprehended one who was on the bench. One was at the rear. Tire of the vehicle, looked to be a Camry, and the other was on the other side of the diplomatic car.”
In the middle of the bridge, 7News saw the victim’s body covered by a white sheet. Witnesses said that when the chase reached the Taft Bridge, one of the vehicles involved struck someone riding a scooter.
“Once the gentleman on the bridge was hit. We realized that no one stopped,” said Penry. “Police continued the pursuit until here, and then they turned around.”
RELATED | President Trump allows US Park Police to chase fleeing vehicles
Penry said all the alleged suspects involved looked young. While on scene, 7News saw one person get arrested and placed in an ambulance.
DeFilippes was riding her bike when she said two cars blocked her from getting caught in the midst of the chase.
“I’m feeling lucky that for those few seconds of my path being kind of blocked,” said DeFillippes. “I’m just so glad that happened. Or else I would have been right there. I’m not at all surprised that someone was hurt. Just. Just from the way everything was unfolding, I could just tell it was going to be bad.
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