Patient registration open now for Feb. 3rd Hartford Free Clinic; Doctors, nurses and other volunteers needed

Come out Wednesday, February 3, 2010 to the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford for the NAFC’s (National Association of Free Clinics) C.A.R.E Clinic, which will be providing free medical services to uninsured patients from noon- 7 p.m. Doctors from many specialties will be present, and patients are recommended to call 877-233-5159 to make an appointment.…

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SustiNet Board meeting

Yesterday’s SustiNet Board meeting focused on federal health reforms and how SustiNet fits in. The Board heard from Stan Dorn at the Urban Institute and Sarah Dash from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s office. Both gave excellent descriptions of the House and Senate bills, where CT stands in both scenarios, and the major items still being negotiated.…

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Free Clinics coming to Hartford, sign up to volunteer

The National Free Clinic Association is coming to Hartford February 3rd. Care will be provided to anyone who needs it, without payment, from noon to 7pm at the CT Convention Center. The Association has held massive one-day free clinics around the country, bringing desperately needed medical services to the uninsured and great publicity to the…

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DSS complies with court decision; legal immigrants can access HUSKY again

Last month, a Hartford Superior Court judge ruled that the state’s action to cut health coverage for adult legal immigrants was unconstitutional. But it took another ruling last Friday for DSS to comply with that ruling, according to Greater Hartford Legal Assistance attorneys who brought the suit. The court found that the denial of health…

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Obesity and Tobacco in Connecticut Forum

The CT Public Health Policy Institute will host a forum January 19th on Overweight and Obesity in CT: Precursors, Policies and Possibilities and Smoke and Mirrors: Examining Tobacco Use, Consequences, and Policies in CT. The forum will be from 8 to 11:30am at the Legislative Office Building, Room 2A. Expert speakers will discuss the issues…

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Medicaid Managed Care/PCCM update

Today’s Medicaid Managed Care Council included an update on PCCM given the expansion to New Haven and Hartford January 1st. It was noted that there has been great interest among providers with 122 signed up in New Haven and 47 in Hartford so far and more applications expected. Unfortunately, DSS has refused to remove the…

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New in the Book Club: The Healing of America

I usually avoid reading about other countries’ health systems; it’s depressing how backward America is about health care. It is odd that the best way to motivate policymakers to do something is to suggest that other states have done the thing and that we are behind, but the worst way to move them is to…

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Managed care proposal for seniors and people with disabilities

DSS has issued an RFQ to provide managed care to 26,000 Medicaid only recipients who are Aged, Blind or Disabled. Those people are now covered under the fee-for-service program. No one disputes that this population could use some care management, especially the 26,000 consumers who struggle to access care in a dysfunctional system. However, rather…

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New laws take effect; New Haven anti-tobacco crusader/educator just gets it done

Some new state laws took effect Friday including a few related to health – coverage of autism, prohibiting payment for hospital-acquired conditions and insurers and limits insurers’ use of anti-anxiety drug treatment in underwriting. Nothing revolutionary, but good stuff. A story in the New Haven Independent last week featured Kenneth Driffin, a social worker who…

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