HUSKY
CTNJ: Public Option Discussion Moves Forward
Connecticut healthcare insurance premiums are expensive, pricing out too many individuals and businesses. This session, lawmakers are considering whether to create a public insurance option, accountable to government, to bring down costs. Yesterday, CT News Junkie’s second public policy forum at the Capitol explored the issue with policymakers and experts. Hear the discussion
Read MoreGovernor’s first budget proposal has plenty of good news, with a bit of wait-and-see news, and a bit of bad news
The Lamont administration released their first budget today. In healthcare, it is mostly good news, but also some we’ll wait-and-see, and a bit of bad news. The good news: There are no cuts to HUSKY parents eligibility, no cuts to Medicaid Savings Program (mostly), and no plans to return to private insurers managed care. Let’s…
Read MoreSeven years later, Connecticut Medicaid still saving taxpayers money
Download the report As with most health care in Connecticut, Medicaid spending was rising quickly before 2012 growing by almost half over the prior four years. But in 2012, Connecticut made a remarkable and unique move — Medicaid switched from a capitated payment model using private insurers to a care coordination-focused, self-insured payment model. Since…
Read MorePublic Option Forum – high expectations, big challenges
Legislators were warned that ideas that sound simple are rarely that easy at last week’s forum on building a public option to bring down CT’s high health insurance premiums. The forum by the Insurance and Human Services Committees brought in national experts to explore the concept. The idea is to create a non-profit, publicly-accountable insurance…
Read MoreCTNJ Public Policy Forum: Would a Public Option Help Connecticut?
The second CT News Junkie Public Policy Forum will be next Thursday, Feb. 21st at 10 am in Capitol Room 310. Connecticut healthcare insurance premiums are expensive, pricing out too many individuals and businesses. This session, lawmakers are considering whether to create a public insurance option, accountable to government, to bring down costs. Important questions…
Read MoreCT Medicaid’s managed fee-for-service model saved $300 million last year
Updated 2/19/2019 We got very good news on Medicaid spending, again, at last week’s MAPOC meeting. Per member costs were down 2% from 2016 to last year, even despite hospital rate increases, saving taxpayers $300 million. The state’s share of Medicaid has barely budged since 2014, despite huge enrollment increases. CT remains behind other states…
Read MoreMore concerns about YNHH, community health center plans for New Haven primary care
Updated 11:30 am A letter from the City of New Haven’s Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities to the state and new Yale Daily News article and one from the New Haven Register highlight transportation issues with YNHH and the two city community health centers’ plans for primary care. Plans to use Uber to…
Read MoreMixed results from great study on Medicaid behavioral health interventions
Yesterday’s MAPOC Complex Care Committee meeting focused on results of an adult high behavioral health need member initiative by Beacon, Medicaid’s behavioral health administrator. The program serves high utilizers of hospital services with behavioral health needs providing intensive care management by teams of clinicians and peer specialists. Medicaid members with high behavioral health needs were…
Read MoreMedicaid update: Quality improving but lots of work to do
Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on quality performance in the program. The good news – ED visits and readmissions continue dropping across the program, although community health centers’ performance remains a problem Well-child visit and lead screening rates are higher than the national average Routine care is increasing and inpatient care is decreasing The bad…
Read MoreComments to DSS opposing increase in PCMH Plus funding for program that didn’t improve quality and increased state costs
Read the full comments Thank you for this opportunity to oppose this amendment to add an additional $600,000 to the growing costs of PCMH Plus, the experimental new Medicaid shared savings program. The state cannot afford to spend more on this program that, in 2017 its first year, did not improve the quality of care…
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