conflict of interest
Aetna leaves CT insurance exchange
Aetna has withdrawn their application to participate in Access Health CT, our state’s health insurance exchange. Aetna’s proposal was the least costly individual premium option for 14 of the 15 examples given at the last Board meeting. Unfortunately this reduces the affordability of options in the exchange and leaves only three plans each in…
Read MoreSIM update
The SIM steering committee reviewed final recommendations from their work groups yesterday. The SIM project is developing payment and care delivery models for at least 80% of state residents – 3 million people or more and $30 billion in CT health spending. The recommendations are very detailed and specific, but they maintain that there…
Read MoreAccess Health CT rates up sharply, CID review and competition helped
Today’s CT Health Insurance Exchange/Access Health CT board meeting included a report from Wakely actuaries hired by the exchange to review rate proposals from health plans applying to offer coverage in the exchange. According to Wakely, plans have filed numerous revisions lowering their rate proposals, largely in response to each other and questions from the…
Read MoreConnectiCare withdraws SHOP exchange proposal
ConnectiCare has notified Access Health CT, our state’s health insurance exchange, that they are withdrawing their proposal to participate in the SHOP exchange. This leaves only three insurers in the small business portion of the exchange – Anthem, United and HealthyCT. ConnectiCare still intends to participate in Access Health CT’s individual exchange along with…
Read MoreHealthyCT lowers rates in insurance exchange
Healthy CT, the new co-op insurer created with federal support under the ACA, has revised their proposed premiums for the CT Health Insurance Exchange, Access Health CT. The new rates, much lower than their competitors, will average $271 per month for individuals and $408 for small businesses. Those individual rates will vary between $111…
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 MoreHealth Insurance Exchange Board meeting update
Today’s Access Health CT Board meeting was largely uneventful; despite that, the room was packed. The highly anticipated report from Wakely’s actuaries on their meetings with the plans to give premium proposals a “second look” was not ready. This is in lieu of negotiating premiums – a bill directing the exchange to do that…
Read MoreBill directing exchange to negotiate premiums died on House calendar
SB-596, a bill that would have implemented active purchasing in Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, died yesterday without action by the House on the last day of the session. The bill passed the Senate last week. The bill directed exchange staff to negotiate premiums with insurers. Negotiations in California and Massachusetts’s exchanges have kept costs…
Read MoreAetna exchange premiums lower than competitors; all higher than CA rates
Wednesday, Aetna submitted proposed rates for Access Health CT, the state health insurance exchange. Averaging $364 per month for individual coverage. By tier premiums average $177 for Catastrophic coverage, $356 for Bronze, $487 for Silver and $477 for Gold. (Yeah, I don’t get that either). Aetna follows HealthyCT and ConnectiCare proposals averaging $427 and $397…
Read MoreActive purchasing bill passes Senate
This afternoon the Connecticut State Senate passed SB-596, a bill directing Access Health CT, the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, to negotiate with insurers to keep premiums affordable for consumers and small businesses. Other states and most large employers negotiate with insurers to control costs. The bill passed 23 to 12 on a party line…
Read More