Connecticut breaks through to a B-/C+ on health reform

Connecticut health care thought leaders give our state a B-/C+ (GPA 2.48) on health reform this fall; the highest marks the state has gotten in over a year. Among issue areas the health insurance exchange and public education improved since the last survey. Areas that lost ground include Medicaid, patient-centered medical homes, health information technology,…

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CT Health Reform Progress Meter moves up to 23.7%

  Despite the frenzy surrounding the opening of the insurance exchanges, health reform has many other moving parts. CT policymakers have completed 26.2% of the tasks necessary for health reform, making progress from last month. Again, Medicaid accounted for the forward progress in October’s Health Reform Dashboard. As last month, deep concerns about payment reform…

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CT insurance exchange switch flips on — lots of interest, some glitches

  Yesterday’s opening of CT’s insurance exchange, Access Health CT,went about as well as expected. Despite the administration and exchange staff’s repeated lowering of expectations, there was a lot of interest – 123,000 visits to the website by 28,000 unique visitors by 4pm. 167 people got signed up for coverage, including 84 into the Medicaid…

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CT exchange premiums 4th highest in US

  A new analysis from the White House finds that CT’s insurance exchange premiums are among the highest in the nation – behind only Alaska, Mississippi, and Wyoming. CT residents and small businesses buying unsubsidized coverage through the exchange will pay 28 to 37% more than most Americans depending on which plan they choose. We…

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CT Health Reform Progress Meter moves up to 23.7%

  CT policymakers have completed 23.7% of the tasks necessary for health reform, making up for last month’s drop. Most tasks on the Progress Meter list are due on Jan.1st of next year. Medicaid accounted for the forward progress in September’s Health Reform Dashboard. As last month, deep concerns about payment reform in the SIM…

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Exchange premiums up from this year, lots of variation

  Our analysis of the recently announced 2014 Access Health CT standard plan premiums finds that for five typical CT households covered by the two health insurers with premium history – Anthem and ConnectiCare – in all but one case, families will experience significant premium increases from this year.  Premiums will rise between 30 and 163%.…

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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…

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CT Health Reform Progress Meter moves up to 23.1%

  CT policymakers have completed 23.1% of the tasks necessary for health reform, making up for last month’s drop. Most tasks on the Progress Meter list are due on Jan.1st of next year. Medicaid accounted for the forward progress in August’s Health Reform Dashboard. Deep concerns about payment reform in the SIM processand the insurance…

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Access 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…

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