HUSKY
Anthem not bidding on Charter Oak or HUSKY
Last week, Anthem sent a letter notifying DSS that they will not be submitting a bid for the joint HUSKY/Charter Oak Plan RFP. Initial responses are due to the state on Friday. Anthem’s concerns include inadequate funding for full-risk HUSKY and Charter Oak; advocates and other state officials have also been concerned about the programs’…
Read MoreCharter Oak update
HB-5617 – the “Charter Oak fix bill – passed the Human Services Committee yesterday with substitute language along party lines. The bill that passed includes mental health parity for the program, eliminates the requirement that enrollees be uninsured for six months to be eligible, reports on services delivered and the costs of care, Charter Oak…
Read MoreHuman Services Committee passes bill delaying HUSKY HMO contracting and delinking from Charter Oak
Today the Human Services Committee passed a stripped down version of HB-5618, An Act Concerning Revisions to the HUSKY Plan. The new language would delay HUSKY contracting with HMOs until July 1, 2009, delink procurement of HUSKY from the Charter Oak Plan, and provide for a study of recent changes to HUSKY including implementation of…
Read MoreAdministration opposition to HB-5617, Charter Oak fix bill
Testimony from Governor Rell, DSS Commissioner Starkowski, OHCA Commissioner Vogel, OPM Secretary Genuario, and DPH Commissioner Galvin in the Human Services Committee’s public hearing Tuesday strongly opposed any changes to their plans for Charter Oak. Attorney General Blumenthal, State Health Care Advocate Lembo and fourteen consumers and advocates, including this one, testified in favor of…
Read MoreCharter Oak/HUSKY update and notes from the bidder’s conference
DSS has posted an advocacy-style fact sheet about Charter Oak and opposing HB-5617 which would delay implementation to allow more thoughtful planning. HB-5617 will be heard in the Human Services Committee later this morning. The flyer includes several positive quotes about Charter Oak from letters and emails to the Governor’s office. But it leaves out…
Read MorePCCM Update
At yesterday’s Appropriations’ Human Services Subcommittee meeting, DSS reported on progress toward implementing a pilot Primary Care Case Management program for HUSKY. DSS has been busy researching other states’ PCCM programs, including a January trip to MA to hear from several states’ about best practices and collecting PCCM provider contracts. DSS generously invited this advocate…
Read MoreHUSKY transition update
Also at yesterday’s Appropriations’ Human Services Subcommittee meeting, DSS reported on the HUSKY transition from four fully-capitated managed care organizations to two non-risk bearing companies and fee-for-service. The transition began Jan. 1st. Currently DSS is responsible for all decisions about medical services and MCOs are being paid only to administer the program. The transition was…
Read MoreBills we are following
HB-5617, AA Delaying Implementation of and Making Revisions to the Charter Oak Plan and HB-5618, AAC Revisions to the HUSKY Plan, have been raised by the Human Services Committee. The public hearing for both is next Tuesday, February 26th at 10am in Room 2A of the LOB. Ellen Andrews
Read MoreCMS wants to give states more Medicaid flexibility
Yesterday, CMS published proposed rules allowing state Medicaid programs more flexibility in program design, similar to SCHIP programs. The change is meant to “implement the Administration’s goals of aligning Medicaid more closely with private market insurance and giving states more control over their Medicaid benefit packages.” If approved the rules would allow states to reduce…
Read MoreAG refuses DSS lawsuit against advocates, supports free speech rights
In a very strongly worded letter, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal rejected DSS Commissioner Mike Starkowski’s request to hire outside attorneys to sue three legal aid lawyers, Sheldon Toubman of New Haven Legal Assistance, Jamey Bell of Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and Randi Mezzy of CT Legal Services. The lawyers sent a letter to each of…
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