CT Health Reform
Public option gone but good pieces remain
Negotiations over a public health insurance option in CT have broken down but other good parts of the deal remain. Reportedly, there is a budget agreement to restore HUSKY eligibility for some of the 11,000 working parents cut in 2016. DSS reports found that the large majority of the low-income parents cut from HUSKY were…
Read MoreCTNJ: Better Public Option Bill Looks to Bigger Picture
Rising health insurance costs are crushing Connecticut families and small businesses. From 2008 to 2014 deductibles in our state rose 67% for families and 50% for small businesses. The Connecticut Option, Democrats’ newest public health insurance option bill, not only improves feasibility of the concept but also begins to address the foundations of rising health…
Read MoreAdvocates offer recommendations for Medicaid shared savings future
The first year of Connecticut Medicaid’s PCMH Plus experiment in shared savings was disappointing. The program cost the state at least $1.3 million extra tax dollars and quality did not improve compared to Medicaid members outside the program. Every Accountable Care Organization (ACO), regardless of savings or quality improvement, was rewarded with a payment. The…
Read MoreBetter, safer ideas to support primary care in Connecticut
Download the report Primary care is the foundation of the health system. It is, or should be, patients’ first interaction with the healthcare system for non-urgent issues. There is strong evidence that care coordination linked to primary care practices, such as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), foster improved health while lowering costs.[i] Areas with more primary…
Read MoreCTNJ op-ed – Advice From an Advocate to the Next Social Services Commissioner
Welcome, you have a big job ahead of you. Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) is a huge agency, spending $8.4 billion this year for programs that impact many lives. As a healthcare advocate who has spent decades trying to move your agency and your predecessors, with mixed results, you have a difficult job. Luckily…
Read MoreSIM primary care capitation proposal gets another tepid reception
This week, SIM presented to the Healthcare Cabinet their proposal to capitate primary care, initially for Medicare members, but eventually for all state residents. The proposal is to move primary care to capitated “bundles” – one for basic primary care services and a voluntary, supplemental payment for expanded activities such as infrastructure and HIT and…
Read MorePCMH+ update: discussions ongoing to fix problems
At yesterday’s MAPOC Care Management Committee meeting, DSS and Mercer reported on their plans for PCMH+, the controversial shared savings Medicaid program. A workgroup has been meeting at DSS to drill down on what didn’t work. DSS has lobbied the Governor to include a new Wave 3 to update the current program in his budget…
Read MoreCT needs to monitor ACOs
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a growing part of CT’s healthcare landscape. But if you’ve never heard of them, you’re not alone. ACOs are large health systems run by providers, often including hospitals, doctors, home health, nursing homes, and other providers. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of CT residents have already been enrolled…
Read MoreCTNJ: ACOs may be the new HMOs, And they need a watchdog
Care for a growing number of Connecticut residents is being directed by an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and very few patients know it. Read more
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading this week
Welcome to What We’re Reading — our new feature at CT Health Notes. We’ll include links to background, updates and just entertaining pieces we found helpful this week. What We’re Reading is part of Advocate to Advocate, the CT Health Policy Project’s mission to expand policy capacity in our state’s advocacy community. More on that…
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