Budget Process
Calls needed to save healthcare for 13,000 working parents
Unless legislators act soon, 13,000 working parents will lose HUSKY coverage this coming January 1st. Sally Grossman, one of those parents with two small children, runs her own house painting business. According to Sally, “Every year I do a little better. But if I earn over $28,000, I lose my health insurance.” Click here for…
Read MoreGovernor proposes new health reform planning agency, and more cuts to HUSKY parents
The Governor’s state budget proposal, released today, includes $5.8 million in rearranged funding and staff for a new Office of Health Strategy, effective July 2018, to “enhance coordination and consolidate accountability for the implementation of the state’s health care reform strategies.” The office will combine OHCA (formerly a separate agency, but now part of DPH…
Read MoreGovernor offers third budget proposal — Still cuts another 8,700 working parents’ HUSKY coverage
In the ongoing tense budget negotiations, yesterday the administration offered yet another budget proposal in response to the legislature’s latest version. However the Governor and legislature are still reportedly over $100 million apart. The new proposal retains the Governor’s plan to cut 8,700 more HUSKY parents from coverage. In a classic case of misdirection, that…
Read MoreLegislative Dems newest budget rejects most of Governor’s newest cuts
In the latest budget proposal for the next two years, Democrats in legislative leadership have rejected many of the Governor’s most recent cuts. The newest legislative proposal rejects the Governor’s plan to cut another 8,700 working parents off HUSKY. Because of cuts passed last year, 17, 688 working parents will lose coverage as of July…
Read MoreApprops budget restores many health and human service cuts
The budget approved by the Appropriations Committee yesterday restores many of the health and human services cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget. Long supported by advocates and financial analysts, the Appropriations Committee also proposed de-collapsing the massive Medicaid line item. The Committee’s budget separates out payments to hospitals and community health centers, giving more transparency…
Read MoreGovernor’s budget proposal – it could be way worse
Today the Governor announced his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year that starts July 1st. The very, very good news is that Medicaid is largely untouched – no new cuts to providers, no more people losing coverage, and minimal service limits (orthodontia). This is smart because current reforms in the program are working to…
Read MoreHow CT can save $1 billion
Per person costs in CT’s Medicaid program fell, actually went down, by 5.9% last year. If the rest of CT’s state budget could match that performance, we would have a $1 billion surplus. Following is my list for how we could spend it (this was fun). · Reverse the HUSKY parents cut · Reverse the…
Read MoreFate of terminated HUSKY parents troubling, implications for families staying together
At Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting we learned that 167 of the 1,215 HUSKY parents that lost coverage last year were able to buy insurance from the health insurance exchange. Unfortunately 32 former HUSKY parents initially signed up for insurance through AccessHealthCT, but later lost coverage because they didn’t pay their premiums. It is not clear…
Read More$103 million in new budget cuts Medicaid, mental health services
On Friday, the administration announced $103 million new budget cuts in response to lagging revenues. The biggest cut is $63.5 million in Medicaid, reportedly focused on hospitals. Community providers raised concerns about the impact of the cuts, including $7.4 million in behavioral health funding and $5 million from services for people with developmental disabilities,…
Read MoreBudget implementer makes significant changes
Early this morning the House passed HB-1502– the 686-page bill that describes how the state FY 2016-2018 budget passed four weeks ago is to be implemented. But the bill also makes numerous substantive changes to the original budget. In addition to tax reductions for large businesses, the bill includes the implementer language to cut coverage…
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