Health Reform
Former Medicaid Official shares troubled MCO history
Download the comments In comments to DSS for their landscape study, former Medicaid official Steve Colangelo warns against returning the program to MCOs. He worked in the program before and after the MCOs left in 2012. He outlines the problems that plagued the program and DSS staff under the MCO model. He details how the…
Read MoreAnalysis: How Trump’s Election Could Impact Healthcare in Connecticut
Health policy circles are buzzing with potential policy changes under the second Trump administration. Last time, Trump proposed significant cuts and administrative burdens for Medicaid, which covers 934,043 low-income Connecticut residents. That makes this a very bad time to be considering bringing the failed private Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) back into the program. Other significant…
Read MoreCTNJ: Council Takes Input About State’s Medicaid Program; Advocates Say Leave It Alone
In light of the results of last week’s election, the last thing Connecticut should do is make any adjustments to the way the state provides Medicaid to eligible residents, advocates said last week. Read more
Read MoreBook Club: Revenge of the Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell revisits his 2006 classic in the new Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. He expands and updates the original premise – that ideas and trends grow slowly, like a pandemic, until they hit a point where they go viral and radically change the context around the…
Read MoreSign on letter critical of biased consultants for HUSKY MCO study
On Friday, thirty-five organizations, advocates, and HUSKY members sent a letter to Governor Lamont raising concerns about the choice of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as consultants to conduct the Medicaid survey and make recommendations. Concerns center on Manatt’s record of support for toward returning Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) in Medicaid programs. That’s a record number…
Read MoreFormer Medicaid official offers options to improve the program and a warning
Recently retired from DSS, Steven Colangelo answered the state’s invitation for recommendations to improve HUSKY. He worked at DSS more than 31 years, 10 in Medicaid, focused on the quality of care. His tenure crossed numerous state administrations and seismic shifts in Medicaid policy at the federal level. Steven opposes current state plans to return…
Read MoreAdvocates’ comments to improve Medicaid
In response to DSS’s invitation for comments, last week four consumer advocate members of CT’s Medical Assistance Program Oversight Council (MAPOC) offered constructive recommendations to improve the program. The authors acknowledge the success of Connecticut’s Medicaid program as a national leader in cost control, access and quality of care. The authors strongly recommend against returning…
Read MoreHUSKY maternal health bundle questions 2.0
Based on DSS’s MAPOC presentation Friday on plans for maternity bundled payments, the CT Health Policy Project submitted some questions about the plan. The commendable goals of the plan are to improve health outcomes, equity, quality, and access to care while controlling costs through care management and greater efficiency. DSS plans to pay obstetrics practices…
Read MoreAnalysis: The uninsured are still with us
September used to be a key month for policy wonks. We all eagerly awaited new Census numbers of the uninsured. But since passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is less attention to the uninsured. There is a sense that we are past the problem of people without coverage. But the latest Census numbers…
Read MoreHow CT can support the professionals who support patients
How CT can support the professionals who support patients A new brief by the CT Health Foundation highlights the value of trained health support professions and recommendations for sustainable funding. The brief outlines evidence that including support professionals in care teams improve health outcomes and patient experience of care, especially for underserved populations. Engaging them…
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