Health Coverage
CT medical debt levels declining, new state law will help even more
The percent of Connecticut residents with medical debt is coming down, but it still affects one in 28 of us, according to a fascinating new tool from the Urban Institute. In a survey last year, 3.5% of Connecticut residents (blue line) reported they have medical debt that has been referred to collections, down from 8.6%…
Read More43 sign letter urging Governor not to return MCOs to HUSKY
A letter signed by 27 organizations and 16 individuals was sent to Governor Lamont urging him not to return Connecticut’s successful Medicaid/HUSKY program to the failed managed care (MCO) model. The signers cited HUSKY’s progress leading the nation in cost control, quality, innovation, and access to care since MCOs left our program in 2012. Read…
Read MorenoHuskyMCOs webinar for advocates online
A recording and slides from yesterdays’ noHuskyMCOs webinar for advocates is online. The webinar covered – Questions included — If your group would like a presentation on noHuskyMCOs, email andrews@cthealthpolicy.org.
Read MoreBook Club: Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It
I thought I knew a lot about how insurance markets work (and don’t), but I learned more than I expected from Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It by Liran Einav, Amy Finkelstein, and Ray Fishman. Adverse selection (commonly called cherry picking) is a double-edged problem. I knew about insurers’ schemes…
Read MoreCT Medicaid compared to other states – What the evidence says
Download the report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. From 1996 through 2011, Connecticut Medicaid was run by MCOs, and it was deeply troubled. The program ended under pressure from advocates, providers, and legislators. Since the MCOs left Connecticut Medicaid, access and…
Read MoreCT gets a D- for maternal mental health
Connecticut is failing mothers in protecting their mental health, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. We aren’t alone – 28 other states received a D or F on maternal mental health (MMH). The US overall received a D+ grade. We got an F on providers and programs – including seven metrics such…
Read MoreMedicaid MCOs and quality, access – What the evidence says
Go to the full report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Do MCOs improve quality or access to care in state Medicaid programs? We looked into the evidence. In a word, No. From the literature: The evidence does not support Medicaid MCOs…
Read MoreMedicaid MCOs and cost savings – What the evidence says
Go to the full report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Do MCOs save states money in state Medicaid programs? We looked into the evidence. In a word, No. From the literature: The evidence does not support Medicaid managed care saving money…
Read MoreNoHuskyMCOs – New resource to preserve Medicaid success
Go to NoHuskyMCOs.org for up to date information on plans to return control of Connecticut’s Medicaid program to private insurance company managed care plans (MCOs). From 1996 through 2011, Connecticut Medicaid was run by MCOs, and it was deeply troubled. The program ended under pressure from advocates, providers, and legislators. Since the MCOs left Connecticut…
Read MoreUS News: CT is 3rd best in US for healthcare
Based on surveys of state residents on their priorities for state government and health data, Connecticut is third best among states for healthcare, our highest ranking among categories. Healthcare was equally weighted between access (#3 among states), quality (#21), and public health (#6). The subtopics for each health category are: Access Quality Public health Adults…
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