CT Health Reform
Health First and Primary Care Authority Updates
Last Thursday both Authorities met in separate meetings. The Health First Authority is collecting information on CT’s spending on health care and Medicaid rates. Urban Institute researchers shared info from a 2003 Health Affairs article showing that CT’s Medicaid rates averaged 83% of Medicare, compared to 69% nationally. MA pays 80%, NY 45% and RI…
Read MoreGovernor vetoes pooling bill
Today Governor Rell vetoed HB-5536, An Act Establishing the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership. While she applauded the intent of the bill, to reduce health care costs for municipalities, nonprofits and small businesses by pooling them with state employees, she is concerned about potential costs to the state. She also cited legal problems with the bill, doubts…
Read MoreHealthFirst Authority update
Today the Authority tried to narrow down the options they will consider for study through the rest of the process. The Chairs began with their list of issues that everybody agrees on. It is long: Strong prevention and health promotion component Medical home Electronic medical record and health information technology Enrolling everyone who is eligible…
Read MorePooling bill update
First, the good news. The Attorney General has issued an opinion on HB-5536, House Majority Leader Donovan’s bill to allow municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits to buy into the state employee plan. His formal legal opinion is that the bill will not increase costs to the state, a concern that reportedly has the Governor considering…
Read MorePooling Bill rhetoric heats up
Rep. Chris Donovan’s proposal to allow municipalities and small businesses to buy into the state employee plan passed the House and Senate easily. But proponents are concerned that the Governor will not sign the bill. The concept is that bringing thousands of municipal, small business and non-profit employees together with into the same health purchasing…
Read MoreHUSKY/PCCM/Charter Oak update
At Friday’s Medicaid Managed Care Council meeting, DSS described plans to transition 337,181 HUSKY members from the current non-capitated, fee-for-service structure back into potentially three capitated HMOs starting July 1st, to begin Charter Oak enrollment also on July 1st, the planned dental carve out also set to begin July 1st, and their plan to provide…
Read MoreHealth First/Primary Care Authority updates
Today’s joint meeting of the two Authorities was interesting. Mitch Katz, MD, MPH, San Francisco’s health director presented on their Healthy San Francisco program. The city isn’t waiting for the state or the fed.s to do something — they created their own program to cover everyone. The crux of the model is a medical home…
Read MoreHUSKY, Charter Oak and other session updates
The General Assembly acted on very few health proposals this year. Some things that did pass: HB 5536 — Rep. Donovan’s bill to allow municipalities and small business to buy directly into the state employee plan pool – the Courant says “Rell’s signature is iffy”. Even if she does approve it, the plan may not…
Read MoreCharter Oak update
Last night, the House passed a stripped down version of the Charter Oak fix bill, 5617, leaving only mental health parity. The House version removed critical provisions including dental and vision care, removing limits on prescriptions, medical equipment and lifetime limits on care, independent grievance and accountability options, sustainability provisions, prohibition against contracting with unlicensed…
Read MoreCommunity Catalyst at the HealthFirst Authority
Friday, Michael Miller of Massachusetts-based Community Catalyst presented to the Cost, Cost Containment & Finance Working Group of the HealthFirst Authority. His presentation focused on “cost containment strategies in other states.” He opened with, “Cost containment is not a useful framework.” He went on to say that if we were spending more than other countries…
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