CT Health Reform
Insurance Exchange web portal needs work
The access health CT (formerly the CT Health Insurance Exchange) web portal got a chilly reception from stakeholders at its first demonstration Wednesday. The web portal is the foundation of the state’s health reform efforts. People searching for coverage, in public programs or private insurance, will be directed to the website. The audience of brokers…
Read MoreSmall business absence in Exchange planning
Kevin Galvin’s blog today notes the continuing absence of a small business voice on the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board, while the insurance industry’s voice is growing.
Read MoreCT Insurance Exchange standard plan – it got worse
Unaffordable in its first version, the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board today voted unanimously to raise deductibles and copays on the standard plans for in-network care, blaming federal regulatory constraints. The new standard plan for the Silver level raises the annual deducible (applicable to hospitals) from $2,500 to $3,000 and annual prescription deductible from $200…
Read More6 of 14 state exchanges actively purchasing coverage – but not CT
A new update on health insurance exchanges by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that six states – CA, MA, NY, OR, RI and VT – of the 14 that have made a decision, intend to actively purchase coverage. Those six exchanges will be negotiating with insurers to get the best value for consumers in their…
Read MoreWe are 17.7% of the way to health reform’s Jan. 1 deadline
CT policymakers have completed 17.7% of the tasks necessary for health reform; most are due on Jan.1st of next year. Medicaid, patient-centered medical homes and payment reform and quality improvement are leading reform according to March’s Health Reform Dashboard. CT still has problems with the CT Health Insurance Exchange (now access health CT), health information…
Read MoreLIA waiver denied
The administration’s plan to apply an asset test to families of young people in the Low Income Adults program (formerly SAGA) was not approved by the federal Medicaid agency Friday. Advocates objected to the plan stating that it was designed to address a problem that rarely happens, college-aged children in wealthier families on Medicaid, and…
Read MoreExchange prices will likely be very high
The Hartford Courant is reporting that premiums in the CT Health Insurance Exchange – Access Health CT – will be between 10 and 100% higher than current levels. “Thousands of Connecticut residents will have a shock this summer when they see the prices for 2014 medical coverage that they’re counting on buying through the newly…
Read MoreCT Health Insurance Advisory Council hearing
Three of the four speakers at yesterday’s public hearing testified in favor of SB-957, An Act Establishing a Health Insurance Advisory Council. The Council’s mission is to advise the insurance department and “examine ways to ensure effective review by the Insurance Department of health insurance rates, ensure the affordability of health insurance in this state…
Read MoreCT exchange hire for call center has troubled history with the state
CT’s health insurance exchange has hired Maximus to provide the critical call center service for the new marketplace. Consumers with questions about the confusing new landscape — seeking help applying for programs, figuring out which plan is right for them, trouble navigating the website, etc. — will be directed to this call center. An article…
Read MoreExchange update: HUSKY parents at risk, out of network standard plan costs alarming
Public testimony before yesterday’s CT Health Insurance Exchange Board centered on the administration’s proposal to cut eligibility for HUSKY parents over 133% of the federal poverty level (currently $25,975 for family of three) saving the state $3 million in FY 14 and $30 million (net) the next year. The proposal assumes those families will purchase…
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