CT Health Reform
Exchange Navigator Committee moves into recommendations
Yesterday the CT Health Insurance Exchange Brokers, Agents, and Navigators Committee started the hard work of developing a structure and defining roles for the Navigator Program. Navigators will educate and help enroll potential individual and small business exchange, and Medicaid enrollees. Under the ACA and federal regulations, navigators must have demonstrated ability to reach those…
Read MoreCT gets a Medicare Accountable Care Organization
Today CMS announced 89 new approved Medicare shared savings Accountable Care Organization applicants, including MPS ACO Physicians in CT. Prior to today, CT had no approved Medicare ACOs. Other CT organizations have reportedly recently submitted ACO applications. The Medicare ACO program, created in the Affordable Care Act, is designed to improve access and coordination of…
Read MoreThe ACA and what it means for CT consumers
While we are all celebrating the Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act, consumers want to know what it means in the real world. The CT Health I-Team has a great piece answering just that question.
Read MoreAwaiting the Supreme Court: What Could it Mean for CT?
Policymakers and politicians, in CT and across the country, are eagerly awaiting/dreading tomorrow’s Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act. We’ve outlined a few possible scenarios and the potential impact on CT. All scenarios have an upside, and there is a way through for every possibility. No matter the decision, we are much farther…
Read MoreCourant editorial critical of Senate failure to add consumers to exchange board
Yesterday’s Hartford Courant editorial voiced disappointment that the legislature and administration could not agree to add consumer and small business voices to the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board this session. The editorial notes that a bill adding a significant number of both voices passed the House but stalled in the Senate. The editorial notes both…
Read MoreOnly State Health Care Advocate gets a vote on the health insurance exchange
Budget implementer legislation passed late yesterday included only a provision to give the State Health Care Advocate a vote on the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board. The bill did not add any independent consumer or small business members. While the Health Care Advocate is a respected and valued member, she serves at the pleasure of…
Read MoreWhat is at stake for CT in Supreme Court decision?
A great Health Affairs blog by Sonya Schwartz, of the National Academy for State Health Policy, outlines the likely impact on active states, like CT, of various Supreme Court ACA scenarios. She uses a Richter Scale of impact from 2.0 if the entire ACA is upheld to 8.0 if the entire law is invalidated. It…
Read MoreHHS awards HealthyCT $75.8 million loan to develop new statewide nonprofit insurer
Today HHS announced approval of HealthyCT’s CO-OP application to develop a new non-profit insurance company for CT consumers. The federal $75.8 million loan is meant to cover start up costs and reserve funds for the new insurer. The CO-OP opportunity (Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan)was created in the national health reform Affordable Care Act, to…
Read MoreInsurance Exchange Board meeting notes
The CT Health Insurance Exchange Board met last week – not much happened. Small business owner, Kevin Galvin, and a consumer who has struggled with health care and insurance access gave very moving public comment to start the meeting. There were lots of updates but no actual substantive information. The committee reports were interesting –…
Read MoreExchange fix bill dies in Senate
The bill to bring the CT Health Insurance Exchange into compliance with federal regulations died on the Senate calendar last night as the session ended. The bill would have added two consumer and two small business representatives to the Board’s membership and given the State Health Care Advocate a vote. Currently there are no voting…
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