CT Health Reform
CTNJ: Medicaid Buy-In Sounds Good But A Closer Look Finds Plenty of Risk, Little Potential
Insurance in Connecticut is expensive. Policymakers are desperately seeking options to provide relief for struggling families and employers. There are several good ideas floating around that could help, but the public option based on Medicaid is not one of them. Read more
Read MoreCTNJ: Public Option Discussion Moves Forward
Connecticut healthcare insurance premiums are expensive, pricing out too many individuals and businesses. This session, lawmakers are considering whether to create a public insurance option, accountable to government, to bring down costs. Yesterday, CT News Junkie’s second public policy forum at the Capitol explored the issue with policymakers and experts. Hear the discussion
Read MoreSeven years later, Connecticut Medicaid still saving taxpayers money
Download the report As with most health care in Connecticut, Medicaid spending was rising quickly before 2012 growing by almost half over the prior four years. But in 2012, Connecticut made a remarkable and unique move — Medicaid switched from a capitated payment model using private insurers to a care coordination-focused, self-insured payment model. Since…
Read MorePublic Option Forum – high expectations, big challenges
Legislators were warned that ideas that sound simple are rarely that easy at last week’s forum on building a public option to bring down CT’s high health insurance premiums. The forum by the Insurance and Human Services Committees brought in national experts to explore the concept. The idea is to create a non-profit, publicly-accountable insurance…
Read MoreCTNJ Public Policy Forum: Would a Public Option Help Connecticut?
The second CT News Junkie Public Policy Forum will be next Thursday, Feb. 21st at 10 am in Capitol Room 310. Connecticut healthcare insurance premiums are expensive, pricing out too many individuals and businesses. This session, lawmakers are considering whether to create a public insurance option, accountable to government, to bring down costs. Important questions…
Read MorePCMH Plus Year 1 Performance and Savings Results: Increased state costs but little evidence of impact on quality
Read the full report This month, Connecticut Medicaid announced the first year performance of PCMH Plus[1], their controversial new shared savings program[2] compared to the prior year. Under shared savings, if health systems (ACOs) are able to lower the cost of their members’ care, they receive a bonus equal to half those savings. PCMH Plus…
Read MoreDisability advocates register serious concerns with SIM primary care capitation plan
On Friday, thirty consumers and advocates for people with disabilities sent a letter to Vicki Veltri and Mark Schaefer, CT’s SIM officials, expressing their concerns with SIM’s proposal to capitate primary care for everyone in CT. The signers are concerned about the potential to deny needed care, especially for people with complex medical conditions. Capitation…
Read MoreCTNJ: CT uninsured rate up, especially for higher income households
New Census data on the uninsured is always a big event for policy types. This year most expected the numbers to rise, but the data had a surprise. Read more
Read MoreConnecticut’s uninsured rate up, reversing four-year trend
New numbers from the US Census Bureau report that 194,000 or 5.5% of Connecticut residents were uninsured last year. That number is up 22,000 from the year before when the uninsured rate was 4.9%. The new data breaks a trend of fewer uninsured that began with implementation of coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act…
Read MoreCT uninsured numbers up breaking four year trend
The US Census estimates that last year 194,000 CT residents, 5.5% of us, were uninsured according to data released today. That is up 22,000 and 4.9% from the previous year’s estimate. This mirrors national trends with 715,000 more uninsured Americans last year than in 2016. Unfortunately CT lost more ground from 2016 to 2017, with…
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