insurance
CTNJ: CT uninsured rate up, especially for higher income households
New Census data on the uninsured is always a big event for policy types. This year most expected the numbers to rise, but the data had a surprise. Read more
Read MoreConnecticut’s uninsured rate up, reversing four-year trend
New numbers from the US Census Bureau report that 194,000 or 5.5% of Connecticut residents were uninsured last year. That number is up 22,000 from the year before when the uninsured rate was 4.9%. The new data breaks a trend of fewer uninsured that began with implementation of coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act…
Read MoreCTNJ: Capitation vs. fee for service: Which team are you on?
is a sharp divide within Connecticut’s healthcare community over how to pay for care that’s as fervent as the Yankees vs. Red Sox split. Some believe that capitation is the holy grail, but others believe that fee for service isn’t the problem and isn’t broken. Read more
Read MoreCT one of only four states that require Medigap plans to cover members when they need it
In all but four states, including CT, seniors on Medicare can be denied Medigap coverage at anytime according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Federal law only requires a one-time, six-month Medigap plan open enrollment period that begins when beneficiaries originally sign up for Medicare. But states can go farther to protect…
Read MoreState individual mandate law would lower uninsured by 88,000 and premiums by 10%
A new analysis by the Commonwealth Fund estimates the impact if states passed their own individual mandate laws, similar to Massachusetts’ law that predated the ACA. According to researchers, by 2020 CT could expect our uninsured rate to drop by 34% with 88,000 more state residents having coverage. Most would gain coverage through Medicaid/CHIP (33,000)…
Read MoreICER to report on unjustified drug price increases
Early next year, the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will issue its first report on US drug price increases that are not supported by clinical evidence. ICER is a leader in assessing the value of medical treatments, including medications. ICER’s benchmark price ranges for new drugs have been used by Medicaid programs,…
Read More31 ways to save on healthcare in Connecticut’s budget
Connecticut’s state budget is facing future deficits and health spending is a large share of the budget. The state now spends $3.8 billion between Medicaid and the state employee health plan to cover about a million state residents. Health care spending outside the state budget is also growing. Connecticut has the sixth highest per capita…
Read MoreMost CT uninsured qualify for ACA coverage
Almost two in three uninsured CT residents qualifies for either Medicaid or tax credits through Access Health CT, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. While the uninsured rate dropped by half after implementation of the Affordable Care Act, 217,000 CT residents remained uninsured in 2016. Of those 63,000 (29%) were eligible…
Read MoreWNPR’s Where We Live focuses on skyrocketing prescription costs, ACA protections at risk
Yesterday, WNPR’s Where We Live, “Sick of the Cost of Prescription Drugs?”, drilled down into the rising costs of prescription drugs that are squeezing out other priorities and on Trump administration ACA policies that jeopardize coverage for people with preexisiting conditions and raise premiums for everyone. Guests included US Senator Chris Murphy, State Rep. Sean…
Read MoreCTNJ: Healthcare questions for Connecticut’s Next Governor
How will Connecticut’s next governor fix the state’s healthcare system? It’s a big job but they will have a lot more leverage and power than many appreciate. Read more
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