Lessons from SIM: Advice from Independent Advocates

Download the full responses here Connecticut’s latest attempt to reform our health system, SIM, ended last month. Despite $45 million in federal dollars, SIM didn’t accomplish much. It was mired in controversy and criticism from across the state’s healthcare landscape. SIM followed several past failed attempts to reform Connecticut’s health system. We asked independent consumer…

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Congressional move to rein in innovations that harm people, Connecticut advocates’ SIM concerns addressed in DC

A new bill in Congress, proposed by both Democrats and Republicans, would place controls on federal grants for payment and delivery reform projects. The Strengthening Innovation in Medicare and Medicaid Act was introduced last week to “increase transparency and accountability within the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)”. CMMI is the federal agency…

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SIM primary care capitation proposal gets another tepid reception

This week, SIM presented to the Healthcare Cabinet their proposal to capitate primary care, initially for Medicare members, but eventually for all state residents. The proposal is to move primary care to capitated “bundles” – one for basic primary care services and a voluntary, supplemental payment for expanded activities such as infrastructure and HIT and…

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Disability advocates register serious concerns with SIM primary care capitation plan

On Friday, thirty consumers and advocates for people with disabilities sent a letter to Vicki Veltri and Mark Schaefer, CT’s SIM officials, expressing their concerns with SIM’s proposal to capitate primary care for everyone in CT. The signers are concerned about the potential to deny needed care, especially for people with complex medical conditions. Capitation…

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Thirty-one independent consumer advocates share concerns with SIM’s latest push for capitation

Despite the historic failures of capitation in Connecticut and beyond, our state’s SIM health planning office is continuing the drumbeat to re-impose the risky system across our state, this time for primary care. In Primary Care Payment Reform: Unlocking the Potential of Primary Care, the SIM office is proposing set payments for primary care providers…

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CT exchange premiums up this year, but similar to other states and still too high

There have been national reports of extreme increases for this year in health insurance exchange premiums, largely due to Trump administration policies. Not surprisingly, a new analysis by the Urban Institute for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that states with more competition among insurers and more options for consumers have the lowest premiums. Connecticut’s…

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SIM update

Across various meetings this month we’ve received a few updates on CT’s SIM planning. CT is competing with 17 other states for 12 test grants. SIM staff has acknowledged receipt of the independent advocates’ letter to CMMI and an FOI regarding Consumer Advisory Board voting and SIM budget development, but we’ve had no response to…

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CT Health Reform Dashboard – SIM ethics problems growing, hospital mergers threaten

August’s CT Health Reform Dashboardupdate is again very active – and not in a good way. Thousands of working HUSKY parents lost coverage this week. SIM ethics problems continue to plague reform efforts. Efforts to bypass DSS’s prudent evaluation of the new, untested, very ambitious Medicaid reform plan are disturbing. Consultants for the Health Care…

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CT Health Reform Dashboard – SIM ethics problems grow, an insurer lost, HUSKY parents losing coverage

July’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update is very active. SIM ethics problems are back in the news, with the death of a bill that would have closed the legal loophole that exempts SIM appointees. The state insurance department has suspended HealthyCT, our state’s only non-profit, homegrown insurer. This is troubling on many levels including reducing…

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Hartford Courant highlights SIM conflicts of interest impact, ethics law loophole

Today’s Hartford Courant includes a deep dive into instances of steering committee members getting grants and changing policies to benefit their interests. Unfortunately SIM falls into a loophole in CT law that exempts its members from the state Code of Ethics for Public Officials. A bill to close that loophole cruised through legislative committees but…

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