Archive for October 2009
Courant editorial calls for DSS Commissioner search
Yesterday’s Hartford Courant editorial calls for a broad search for the next Commissioner of DSS. This echoes other voices, including ours. State health care programs have struggled in recent years. National health reforms offer Connecticut exciting new opportunities but also immense challenges that will make the last decade seem easy. The choice of a new…
Read MoreFrom the Consumer Helpline
A consumer called our helpline because she needs help paying for her daughter’s medical bills. Even with insurance, the co-pays and deductibles are adding up. Her daughter is 4 years old and has cystic fibrosis; she was in the hospital, which had a $500 co-pay and the mom has to pay for her prescriptions before…
Read MoreNew report estimates 28,100 new uninsured in CT this year
Based on rising unemployment rates, a new study by Families USA estimates that 28,100 more CT residents are uninsured this year than last. Unemployment in CT as of Aug. 1st was 8.1%, up from 6.1% last August. This places CT 40th in the nation in rates of uninsured; in 2008 we were 45th according to…
Read MoreSustiNet meeting today cancelled
Today’s SustiNet meeting at the Capitol is cancelled due to illness.We’ll let you know when it’s rescheduled.
Read MoreNew resource for CT physicians on quality of care
eHealthCT together with a long list of partners is providing physicians with quality measures for their practices across payers through a new iniative, CT Health Quality Cooperative (CHQC). CHQC is the first of its kind tool in Connecticut and one of only a handful nationally to aggregate data across health plans and Medicare to provide…
Read MoreMedical home panel at NASHP conference
Today’s medical home panel at the NASHP conference in Long Beach focused on partnering with the private sector. RI has coordinated all the payers to make incentives salient and set common standards. OK has 420,000 enrolled in their Medicaid medical home/PCCM program and is saving millions. Most are using NCQA accreditation of medical homes. PA…
Read MoreNASHP pre-conference on payment reform
Today’s pre-conference meeting to the National Academy of State Health Policy’s annual conference took on the elephant in the health policy room – how to align incentives among payers, providers and consumers to reward quality and efficiency. Health care is a very fragmented, very large business and it doesn’t turn on a dime. But a…
Read MoreMedical home conference
Saint Francis Health Care Partners is holding a very comprehensive Medical Home Symposium Thursday November 5th at the Hartford Marriott Farmington. If you are considering this important practice innovation or just want to know more, you will learn all you need to know. Session 1 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm includes Paul Grundy of the…
Read MoreSustiNet Board meeting
The Board made progress on workplans and committees at yesterday’s meeting. They added a health disparities and equity committee, and asked for input on membership for the others. The workplans for the committees and the Board we adopted with some minor revisions. Workplans and membership lists are online. All meetings will be public and subject…
Read MoreFamilies report on how national health reform will benefit CT consumers
A new report by Families USA outlines how national health reform proposals will improve health care for CT consumers from current law. Issues include coverage for pre-existing conditions, premiums based on gender and health status, expanding options for coverage, affordable premiums and out of pocket costs for families and small businesses, annual and lifetime caps…
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