conflict of interest
Consumers raise concerns with CT insurance exchange
Consumers and small businesses had a rare opportunity to share their concerns with CT’s health insurance exchange Friday. A standing room only crowd met with the exchange’s CEO, Kevin Counihan at a restaurant in Glastonbury. Christie Hager, HHS Regional Director, also attended. Comments focused on the lack of consumer and small business input to the…
Read MoreCT exchange staff won’t negotiate with insurers on behalf of consumers
Staff of the CT Health Insurance Exchange have “opted to utilize an ‘any qualified plan’ approach” for determining which plans can be offered in the exchange. Proposed qualifications are minimal and generally only what is required by the Affordable Care Act. This decision is counter to the CT exchange’s own research. According to the market…
Read MoreExchange Board approves Essential Health Benefits standard – false choice between benefits and cost
Yesterday the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board approved CT’s version of the Essential Health Benefit (EHB) package under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As of January 1, 2014 individual and small group plans will have to cover at least the EHB services. The ACA required that the EHB include at least ambulatory patient services, emergency…
Read MoreHHS approves CT application for more insurance exchange funding
Today Health and Human Services, the federal agency tasked with approving and funding state insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, announced that CT’s Level II insurance exchange application has been approved for $107 million, along with new grants for seven other states. A large part of CT’s grant is meant to fund development of…
Read More48% of CT Medicaid highest prescribing physicians get drug company perks
According to the CT Health I-Team, the highest prescribing doctors in CT for many medications receive large payments for speaking fees and travel from the companies that manufacture those same medications. Forty of the 108 physicians in CT’s Medicaid program with the highest psychotropic and pain medication prescribing rates get perks from the companies that…
Read MoreHealth Insurance Exchange Board recommends standards for benefit package
Last week, the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board voted on their recommendation for the benchmark essential health benefit (EHB) package that must be offered in 2014 by all individual and small group plans, both inside and outside the Exchange, under national health reform. Federal regulators granted states the ability to define the EHB package, within…
Read More