Posts by Ellen Andrews
Courant article highlights medical causes of bankruptcy and foreclosure, if you read into the article
The headline of an article in Sunday’s Courant reads “In CT and elsewhere, more debtors choose personal bankruptcy,” but they missed an important point. The slant of the article is the growing number of bankruptcies resulting from foreclosures. The article describes Maryann Hagberg, a Waterbury woman, and her husband forced into bankruptcy to remain in…
Read MoreGreat advocacy tool
CT’s League of Women Voters’ 2009-2010 elected officials guide is on-line. It includes how to find your legislators – state and federal – and executive branch elected officials. It includes contact information and guidance to address letters, including titles. (I always have to look that up). Other useful information includes dates of the sessions, legislative…
Read MoreMedicaid Managed Care Council meeting; Dumb idea redux
DSS may take advantage of a legislative error and try to implemented premium assistance for HUSKY, according to the department at Friday’s Medicaid Managed Care Council meeting. Two years ago, the agency’s proposal for premium assistance was rejected by legislators in budget negotiations, as it had been for four years in a row. However due…
Read MoreNew on cthealthpolicy.org
Updated policy paper: The Federal Stimulus Package and Passage of the SCHIP Reauthorization Bill: How Much Health Care Help Can CT Expect? Significant funding is coming to CT due to federal generosity including $1.3 billion in added Medicaid funds, $3.7 million for community health centers, and matching funds to cover legal immigrants under Medicaid/HUSKY. The…
Read MoreLousy student health insurance coverage
While I was a student at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, we were required to have health insurance. If we didn’t have insurance on our own, we had to buy it through the school and the only option was Accident/Sickness Insurance from Aetna Student Health. It was fairly inexpensive – $870 for…
Read MoreDemocrats outline three scenarios to save $2.8 billion
Emphasizing that they do not endorse the cuts, the Appropriations Committee described the types of cuts necessary to fill the remaining $2.8 billion budget gap without additional revenues. Across the three budget versions reductions include cutting Medicaid provider rates by 10% for nursing homes and 20% for all others, Medicaid co-pays, eliminating adult pharmacy in…
Read MoreHealth Care Advocate’s Office saved CT patients $5.07 for every $1 spent on the office last year
The annual report of our state Office of Healthcare Advocate (OHA) describes the importance of this office and what CT consumers could lose if the Governor is successful in eliminating it. The number of patients getting help from the office has grown every year reaching 2,143 last year. Those cases returned over $5 million to…
Read MoreUS Supreme Court rejects federal pre-emption of state law in VT drug case
In a 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court Wednesday held that federal law does not pre-empt the right of patients to sue in state court over a federally regulated medication. The case involved a VT musician who lost her arm after Phenergan, an anti-nausea drug, was administered by “IV push” rather than “IV drip”.…
Read MoreHow to live to 101
Susan Campbell’s column in yesterday’s Courant highlighted Mary Labieniec, age 101 from Kensington. Mary shares her eleven tips to a long and healthy life. Some are expected – stay active, don’t smoke and don’t drink (too much). She is a big fan of well water and she warns about house guests. But she also eats…
Read MoreInside the LOB
As a volunteer with the Public Health Committee for the past couple of weeks I’ve witnessed the hard work done by legislative aides and clerks. Without them, the system would not run as smoothly (or maybe it wouldn’t run at all). They do all the behind the scenes work, from scheduling appointment for legislators to…
Read More