Health Report Card

Connecticut health care thought leaders again gave our state a C+ grade for health reform last month, but our GPA dropped from 2.4 to 2.2. Connecticut’s grade for effort didn’t change from last year still at a B-/C+ (GPA 2.5) in this survey. Connecticut continues to earn higher marks for Medicaid and the health insurance…

February’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects growing concerns about CT’s Medicaid program. Problems with the new EVV system threaten consumer access to home care, provider sustainability and privacy rights. The experimental PCMH+ program began a month ago, but no information on the program has been shared and plans for evaluation too little and too…

January’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects CT’s changing health care landscape. Uncertainty is fueled by a significant state budget deficit and, at the federal level, the ACA repeal and radical plans to change Medicaid. The Health Care Cabinet’s attempts at reform are mercifully over. It’s unclear how much of the very contentious report will…

This month’s Health Reform Dashboardupdate once again reflects more attempts to unravel progress in CT.  Medicaid leads the concerns with the success of new ACOs at the last minute in blowing up federally required consumer notices that were carefully negotiated over months, so that consumers will need a college education to understand the risks of…

  This month’s Health Reform Dashboardupdate reflects more attempts to unravel progress in CT.  Medicaid leads the concerns with broken promises on downside risk and attempts to weaken critical consumer notices about shifting provider incentives, potential underservice, and how to protect yourself. OHCA’s approval of YNHH’s acquisition of L&M health system will require a lot…

October’s CT Health Reform Dashboardupdate reflects the controversy surrounding the Health Care Cabinet’s controversial proposal for state health reform. The current proposal would move CT back into failed payment models and would break the administration’s promise to Medicaid members. Other concerns include a vague hospital consolidation deal that leaves a lot of accountability to administrative…

September’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects the controversy surrounding the Health Care Cabinet’s ambitious and controversial proposal for state health reform. But in good news, DSS and the advocates’ call for a proper evaluation of Medicaid reform, and using it to improve and adjust the program, have been affirmed. Concerns about SIM ethics and…

August’s CT Health Reform Dashboardupdate is again very active – and not in a good way. Thousands of working HUSKY parents lost coverage this week. SIM ethics problems continue to plague reform efforts. Efforts to bypass DSS’s prudent evaluation of the new, untested, very ambitious Medicaid reform plan are disturbing. Consultants for the Health Care…

July’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update is very active. SIM ethics problems are back in the news, with the death of a bill that would have closed the legal loophole that exempts SIM appointees. The state insurance department has suspended HealthyCT, our state’s only non-profit, homegrown insurer. This is troubling on many levels including reducing…