Posts by Ellen Andrews
Entertaining new video explains Obamacare implementation
Medicaid Council update
Last Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on ACA primary care rate increases for 2,277 CT providers including MDs practicing pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine and some specialties and APRNs for preventive care services. Effective January 1stbut implemented July 1st, the ACA increased these rates to Medicare levels, with 100% federal funding through 2014. On…
Read MoreCT community health centers awarded $1.6 million for outreach and enrollment
ThirteenCT community health centers will share almost $1.6 million in federal grants to hire 28 workers across the state to help an estimated 23,167 uninsured state residents enroll in affordable health coverage. Awards varied from $68,284 to the CT Institute for Communities in Danbury to $ 238,366 to Community Health Center Inc. in Middletown.…
Read MoreState health care pooling plan growing slowly
The Comptroller’s Office announced this week that the CT Partnership Plan, allowing municipalities and other non-state governments to buy into the state employee plan, has 2,415 members from eight municipal entities at the end of a year saving between 1 and 36% on health benefits. While enrollment has lagged behind expectations, it is growing. Comptroller…
Read MoreGovernor vetoes bill allowing for-profits into medical foundations
Yesterday the Governor vetoed SB-992, a bill that would have allowed for-profit entities to join medical foundations to provide health services. The bill language was added to a different bill in the last hours of the legislative session. The bill resulted from lobbying by Waterbury Hospital and the for-profit Vanguard Health Systems from Tennessee…
Read MoreCabinet meeting centers on SIM project
An update on the SIM project was the main agenda item at yesterday’s Health Care Cabinet meeting. At last month’s meeting, members were asked to collect feedback on SIM proposals for payment and delivery reform to cover 80% of CT residents. The SIM committee is planning to set payment and delivery models for the…
Read MoreYouth Health Ambassadors program applications open
The summer Youth Health Ambassadors program is now taking applications. The five week training program for Hartford youth ages 16 to 18 is designed to increase understanding of health disparities, health literary, and civic engagement, and to build development and leadership skills through video blogging, social media, volunteer service and community development. The Ambassadors program…
Read MoreACA employer mandate delayed; tiny number of CT employers affected
Only 3% of CT employers with over 50 workers don’t offer health benefits; nationally 4.3% don’t. Despite this on Tuesday, out of concern for the economy and paperwork burdens, the IRS announced they will delay for a year implementation of the health reform requirement that employers with over 50 workers offer health coverage to…
Read MoreJuly CT Health Policy Webquiz: CT’s hospital executive pay
Test your knowledge of hospital pay for executives in Connecticut. Take the July CT Health Policy Webquiz
Read MoreCT health reform progress first time drop to 21.8%
For the first time, Connecticut moved backward in progress toward health reform from 22.5% of tasks completed last month to 21.8% this month in the CT Health Reform Dashboard. Most reform tasks are due on Jan.1st of next year. Medicaid showed positive movement, as it has over the last year. However the state moved…
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