Health Reform
9,000 CT policies canceled due to ACA standards
CT Insurance Commissioner Leonardi stated in an interview yesterday that 9,000 policies were cancelled recently because they were not grandfatheredunder the Affordable Care Act. Plans that were in place in March 23, 2010 (when the Act passed) and haven’t changed benefits or consumer costs in significant ways but don’t meet some new ACA standards for…
Read MoreAn ACA primer for CT
Arielle Levin Becker of the CT Mirror has drafted a sensible, brief FAQ on health reform, what is coming in January and what it means for people who don’t read Health Affairs for a living. She has done an expert job of distilling the confusion into an accessible resource. Thank you Arielle.
Read MoreEntertaining new video explains Obamacare implementation
ACA employer mandate delayed; tiny number of CT employers affected
Only 3% of CT employers with over 50 workers don’t offer health benefits; nationally 4.3% don’t. Despite this on Tuesday, out of concern for the economy and paperwork burdens, the IRS announced they will delay for a year implementation of the health reform requirement that employers with over 50 workers offer health coverage to…
Read MoreWhat can Charter Oak teach the CT health insurance exchange?
A comparison finds lower consumer costs in the current Charter Oak plan than the Access Health CT (the CT Health Insurance Exchange) standard silver plan. Governor Rell created Charter Oak almost five years ago for the same purpose as the exchange – offering affordable, decent coverage options for CT’s uninsured. While Charter Oak premiums started out…
Read MoreMedicare announces new ACOs in CT
CMS announced approval of 106 new Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) today, including six serving patients in CT. ACOs are integrated networks of local providers across the care continuum that share in the savings generated by coordinating care while maintaining quality. Among the new approvals are Hartford HealthCare, St. Francis HealthCare, and ProHealth serving only…
Read MoreMickey Herbert joins Harvard Pilgrim
Former ConnectiCare CEO, Mickey Herbert, has joined Harvard Pilgrim Health Care as a consultant. Harvard Pilgrim has applied for a license to expand to CT’s insurance marketplace. He resigned from the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board a month ago, adding to growing conflict of interest concerns. Concerns have been raised about Board members ties to…
Read MoreInsurance Company Shenanigans – Part 1
In case you’re wondering why you don’t hear insurance companies complaining about Obamacare; it’s because they are big winners and don’t want to rock the boat. Read more in Tony Pinto’s blog on CT Health Exchange Watch.
Read More742,000 CT residents with pre-existing conditions’ access to coverage will be protected under ACA
New estimates from Families USA finds that 742,000 non-elderly CT residents have been diagnosed with serious conditions often linked to individual coverage denials. Beginning in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, no Connecticut resident can be denied coverage, charged a higher premium, or sold a policy that excludes coverage of important health services simply because…
Read MoreHow will 137,000 CT residents get their MLR rebate money?
Today’s CT Post highlights some of the confusion about the insurance rebates mandated by the Affordable Care Act from health plans that didn’t spend at least 80% of premiums on health care and quality. This month 137,452 state residents should get refunds averaging $168 but how they get the money varies. If consumers bought an…
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