Posts by Ellen Andrews
CT Mirror Viewpoint: Husky MCOs would harm access to mental health care
A new CT Mirror Viewpoint from a HUSKY mental health provider describes why the Governor’s idea to bring managed care back would drive more providers from the program. Demand for mental health care has never been higher and is a serious concern for HUSKY. Donna Nicolino is a trauma specialist participating in both Connecticut’s non-MCO…
Read MoreBook Club: Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It
I thought I knew a lot about how insurance markets work (and don’t), but I learned more than I expected from Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It by Liran Einav, Amy Finkelstein, and Ray Fishman. Adverse selection (commonly called cherry picking) is a double-edged problem. I knew about insurers’ schemes…
Read MoreCT Medicaid compared to other states – What the evidence says
Download the report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. From 1996 through 2011, Connecticut Medicaid was run by MCOs, and it was deeply troubled. The program ended under pressure from advocates, providers, and legislators. Since the MCOs left Connecticut Medicaid, access and…
Read MoreCT gets a D- for maternal mental health
Connecticut is failing mothers in protecting their mental health, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. We aren’t alone – 28 other states received a D or F on maternal mental health (MMH). The US overall received a D+ grade. We got an F on providers and programs – including seven metrics such…
Read MoreStudy finds CT private healthcare payment rates more than double Medicare’s, close to US average
A new study by RAND analyzing provider payments rates for commercial plans finds Connecticut’s 2022 rates averaged two and half times (258%) what Medicare would’ve paid for the same services at the same hospital (Relative Price). There was little variation by overall type of services. However, individual Connecticut hospitals varied considerably in Relative Price. There…
Read MoreMedicaid MCOs and quality, access – What the evidence says
Go to the full report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Do MCOs improve quality or access to care in state Medicaid programs? We looked into the evidence. In a word, No. From the literature: The evidence does not support Medicaid MCOs…
Read MoreMedicaid MCOs and cost savings – What the evidence says
Go to the full report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Do MCOs save states money in state Medicaid programs? We looked into the evidence. In a word, No. From the literature: The evidence does not support Medicaid managed care saving money…
Read MoreNoHuskyMCOs – New resource to preserve Medicaid success
Go to NoHuskyMCOs.org for up to date information on plans to return control of Connecticut’s Medicaid program to private insurance company managed care plans (MCOs). From 1996 through 2011, Connecticut Medicaid was run by MCOs, and it was deeply troubled. The program ended under pressure from advocates, providers, and legislators. Since the MCOs left Connecticut…
Read MoreUS News: CT is 3rd best in US for healthcare
Based on surveys of state residents on their priorities for state government and health data, Connecticut is third best among states for healthcare, our highest ranking among categories. Healthcare was equally weighted between access (#3 among states), quality (#21), and public health (#6). The subtopics for each health category are: Access Quality Public health Adults…
Read MoreBook Club – Super Forecasting: The Art and Science of Predicting
The title makes a big promise, but this book delivers. The book starts with examples through history of “experts” who were followed, even when evidence they were wrong was obvious. Healthcare is full of these examples, and the authors cite a few. In 2005, Phillip Tetlock published a very large 20-year study measuring the accuracy…
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