Posts by Ellen Andrews
Safety net hospitals expect to see more uninsured undocumented immigrants
CT hospitals are expecting a growing burden of uncompensated care for undocumented immigrants next year, according to C-HIT. Undocumented immigrants cannot benefit from expansions of coverage under the ACA. They are not eligible for Medicaid regardless of income level and cannot purchase coverage on the insurance exchange, even without a subsidy. The ACA also decreases…
Read MoreCT Health Reform Progress Meter moves up to 28.3%
CT policymakers have completed 28.3% of the tasks necessary for health reform, up slightly from November. Most tasks on the Progress Meter list are due in just a month. Medicaid accounted for the forward progress in again this month, largely due to strong quality and care management performance reports. Once again, deep concerns about payment…
Read MoreDecember CT Health Policy Webquiz – CT health insurers’ performance
Test your knowledge of CT health insurer performance. Take the December CT Health Policy Webquiz.
Read MoreCT Mirror Obamacare Maitre d’ – everything you wanted to know
CT Mirror has created a set of tools to guide the confused through Obamacare’s maze. Obamacare Maitre d’ steps you through the basics, simple questions about CT’s health insurance exchange, and the Medicaid/HUSKY program. Helpful articles include Obama and you – an explainer, What you need to know (overview) – and resources, and 6 things…
Read MoreSIM plan comments focus on protecting consumers
CT’s SIM draft plan to reform health care for at least 80% of state residents in five years is out for public comment. SIM is the state’s newest plan to radically reform health care delivery and payment across the entire state. Concerns raised in the CT Health Policy Project’s comments include potential incentives in the…
Read MoreCT hospital ER waits longer than US average
Average waits at CT hospital emergency departments vary from 82 minutes at Hartford Hospital to 14 minutes at Windom Hospital, according to a new analysis by the CT Health I-Team. CT’s average wait time is 30 minutes; the national average is 28 minutes. While CT hospitals are implementing quality improvements, experts expect wait times to…
Read MoreHealth exchange enrollment still low and older
12,648 people have signed up for coverage through Access Health CT, our state health insurance exchange in the first month according to new enrollment numbers. About half (41%) have qualified for Medicaid. The other half (56%) enrolled in private insurance plans; more than half of those are choosing a silver plan. 62% have enrolled in…
Read More9,000 CT policies canceled due to ACA standards
CT Insurance Commissioner Leonardi stated in an interview yesterday that 9,000 policies were cancelled recently because they were not grandfatheredunder the Affordable Care Act. Plans that were in place in March 23, 2010 (when the Act passed) and haven’t changed benefits or consumer costs in significant ways but don’t meet some new ACA standards for…
Read MoreAdvocates’ letter expands on SIM concerns about payment model risks
A new letter signed by 21 CT consumer advocates to the SIM committee provides more clarity on previous concerns and raises others that have surfaced in the SIM draft plan. SIM is the state’s newest plan to radically reform health care delivery and payment across the entire state. Previous concerns, raised in our August letter…
Read MoreMedicaid Council update
Friday’s Medicaid Oversight Council meeting focused on the success of the Intensive Care Management Program. The program provides the most fragile Medicaid consumers with team-based, patient-centered care starting with a comprehensive assessment of what consumers need, both health and other supports, strengths and barriers. The team supports the consumer in setting their own goals and…
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