conflict of interest - CT Health Policy

Hartford Courant highlights SIM conflicts of interest impact, ethics law loophole

By Ellen Andrews | June 28, 2016 |

Today’s Hartford Courant includes a deep dive into instances of steering committee members getting grants and changing policies to benefit their interests. Unfortunately SIM falls into a loophole in CT law that exempts its members from the state Code of Ethics for Public Officials. A bill to close that loophole cruised through legislative committees but…

CT insurance exchange premiums high, but growing slower than national and regional averages

By Ellen Andrews | May 26, 2016 |

A new analysis by the Urban Institute finds that insurance exchange premiums for the lowest-cost Silver plan in CT averaged 0.7% growth annually over the last two years. This is well below growth at the national and regional averages of 5.5% and 4.2% respectively. While they aren’t rising as quickly, CT premiums started out much…

Good news on CCIP – SIM’s plan for Medicaid

By Ellen Andrews | March 18, 2016 |

As recommended by independent advocates and others at from the Care Management Committee, DSS and SIM have agreed to make SIM’s Community and Clinical Integration Program (CCIP) optional for Medicaid provider networks, at least for the first year. Advocates and others on the committee were concerned that the plan was too prescriptive, very expensive, and…

Advocates’ letter urges delay of SIM plans for Medicaid

By Ellen Andrews | March 9, 2016 |

Fifteen independent advocates sent a letter to the administration yesterday expressing deep concerns with SIM’s Community and Clinical Integration Plan (CCIP) for Medicaid. Advocates are concerned that CCIP will undermine hard-won progress in our state’s Medicaid program that has improved access to high quality care while controlling costs. In contrast to successful programs in other states, SIM…

SIM’s CCIP proposal for Medicaid reform – poor process drives weak plan

By Ellen Andrews | February 23, 2016 |

Public comments from the CT Health Policy Project raise deep concerns about SIM’s proposal for Medicaid reform requirements could undermine hard-won successes in the program and may not achieve the goals. The Community and Clinical Integration Plan (CCIP) is SIM’s plan for community-based resources to support Medicaid advanced networks that will be sharing in savings…

Medicaid update – plans to “transition” 17,688 HUSKY parents off the program, serious SIM/CCIP problems jeopardize Medicaid redesign

By Ellen Andrews | February 21, 2016 |

Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on implementation of last year’sbudget provision that will end coverage for 17,688 HUSKY parents on July 31stof this year. DSS reported on efforts to assure that people still eligible for Medicaid in other categories do not lose coverage. Of the 1,215 parents who lost coverage last year due to the…

February web quiz: costs on CT’s health insurance exchange

By Ellen Andrews | February 1, 2016 |

Test your knowledge about costs of plans and MLRs on CT’s health insurance exchange. Take the February CT Health Policy Webquiz.

Advocates urge SIM not to disrupt successful Medicaid PCMH program

By Ellen Andrews | December 28, 2015 |

In a letter to SIM steering committee members, the Medicaid Study Group urged support for DSS’s decision to build Medicaid reforms on the successful person-centered medical home program. Specifically the Group applauded DSS’s decision to only include members served by certified PCMHs in the new, untested shared savings model being planned for Medicaid. The Medicaid…

Independent advocates call for more study on Medicaid payment shift

By Ellen Andrews | September 29, 2015 |

A letter signed by twenty one independent consumer advocates calls on the state to halt the SIM-driven Medicaid’s rush into a return to shared savings, a risky payment model. Dozens of issues remain to be addressed to protect the 770,000 people who rely on the program before the deadline of October 5th. The rush is…

Shared savings math doesn’t add up, CCIP plans could undermine Medicaid

By Ellen Andrews | September 25, 2015 |

A new brief outlines the risk to taxpayers from Medicaid shared savings increasing health costs, as SIM is pressing. About half of Medicare ACOs spent more money on health care for members under shared savings last year. If Connecticut’s ACOs perform in Medicaid shared savings as they did for Medicare, CT taxpayers could lose as much…