Posts by Ellen Andrews
Health cuts in budget deal
The new plan to balance the state’s budget was unveiled Friday. Proposed cuts touch most areas of state spending, including health and the safety net. The Governor’s office was clear that these cuts were not their first choice and they worked hard to avoid making them. Health care cuts include $7.7 million in Medicaid fees…
Read MoreCT third least obese state in US
A new report by the Trust for America’s Health confirms CT’s status as relatively less obese compared to other states. However obesity is a growing problem everywhere, including CT. The authors note that the lowest state’s rate now (Colorado) is higher than the lowest state’s rate fifteen years ago. 21.8% of adults in our state…
Read MoreMedicaid Council update
Friday’s Council meeting was mixed. DSS described their process for developing person-centered medical homes — a far better name. Their provider advisory group will be guiding the department in choosing which PCMH standards providers will have to meet, how they will be paid and the outcomes they will be measured against. Doctors are well-represented (a…
Read MoreGovernor vetoes insurance rate review bill
Governor Malloy vetoed SB 11, An Act Concerning the Rate Approval Process for Certain Health Insurance Policies. The act would have required the Insurance Dept. to hold public hearings if insurers sought permission to raise rates by 10 percent or more. Consumers have been repeatedly hit with double digit rate increases, despite very large profits…
Read MoreCEPAC meeting
The New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council held its first meeting last month in Boston. CEPAC is an initiative of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, funded by the US Agency for Healthcare Quality and Review. To make informed healthcare decisions policymakers, patients and clinicians need rigorous evidence on the comparative risks and…
Read MoreWebinar: NCQA Patient centered medical home standards update
Join us for a webinar Monday July 25th at 2pm to hear about NCQA’s updated standards for practices seeking recognition as patient-centered medical homes. The new standards emphasize organizing care around the patient and include integration of behavioral health care and care management, a standardized patient experience survey, and ensuring that patients and their families…
Read MoreVacation
Staff of the CT Health Policy Project will be out of the office until June 27th. See you then.
Read MoreHealth care highlights in the 2011 legislative session
Health care took a leading role in this year’s legislative session. Health reform/pooling/SustiNet http://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=6308&which_year=2011&SUBMIT1.x=9&SUBMIT1.y=8 Health insurance exchange http://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=921&which_year=2011&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0&SUBMIT1=Normal Paid sick days http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=913&which_year=2011 Value based health care for state employees http://inthistogetherct.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DEL_SEBAC_05_27_11_2.pdf Budget deal http://www.ctmirror.org/story/12328/social-services-budget Insurance rate review http://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=11&which_year=2011&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0&SUBMIT1=Normal UConn Health Center expansion http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/uconn_health_center_expansion_receives_final_passage/
Read MoreComments on federal ACO proposal, Changing Face of Medicaid
CMS has issued the proposed rule under national health reform to implement Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) for Medicare beneficiaries. ACOs are a new way of paying for health care, moving away from fee-for-service to paying for value. An ACO is a network of health care providers spanning the care spectrum paid to provide for all…
Read MoreHealth insurance exchange bill passes Senate
Yesterday the Senate passed SB 921 creating the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange. The Exchange, authorized under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will create a standardized, understandable marketplace for consumers and small businesses to purchase health insurance. The Exchange must be operational by 2014 when the ACA’s individual mandate becomes effective. Individuals eligible for premium subsidies…
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