insurance
Insurance exchange meeting update
The CT Health Insurance Exchange Board chose their three CEO candidates to send on to the Governor at last week’s meeting. The decision was made without a voting consumer representative and after another hour-long closed-door meeting. Names of the three chosen were not released; hopefully they do not have close ties to the insurance industry.…
Read MoreInsurance Exchange meeting allows limited public comment
Partially responding to widespread calls to respect consumer voices, the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board allowed 12 minutes of public comment at the beginning of today’s meeting. Speakers were limited to two minutes each – there was only time for five. They heard from a struggling consumer, a small business owner, advocates and a representative…
Read MoreBill adding consumer and small business voices to Exchange Board passes Insurance Committee unanimously
Earlier today the legislature’s Insurance Committee unanimously passed HB-5013 with substitute language. The new bill language adds one consumer and one small business representative to the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board and makes the State Health Care Advocate a voting member. The bill will be effective upon passage. The bipartisan bill partially addresses concerns raised…
Read MoreInsurance public hearing to add consumers to insurance exchange board
Today, the Insurance and Real Estate Committee held a public hearing on HB-5013 – a very weak bill that would have added only one, narrowly defined consumer advocate and one small business person to the exchange but not before July 1st. It also would have given the State Health Care Advocate a vote But again…
Read MoreFebruary web quiz – Insurance exchange planning report
Test your knowledge of CT’s health insurance exchange planning. Take the February CT Health Policy Webquiz.
Read MoreAdvocates protest at last week’s Exchange Board meeting
Last Thursday’s Board meeting was attended by dozens of consumer advocates protesting insurance domination of the Board’s membership and the absence of consumer voices. The advocates wore Band Aids over their mouths and stood with signs protesting the lack of even one voting consumer member; federal regulations say the majority of voting members should represent…
Read More45% of CT individual health plans last year would not have triggered consumer rebates under new federal rules
A Hartford Courant analysis of 2010 individual health plans sold in CT finds that 45% did not spend at least 80% of premiums on members’ medical expenses. A rule requiring plans to meet that standard, termed medical loss ratio, did not take effect until this year. Plans that don’t reach that standard, overspending on administration…
Read MoreAdvocates file ethics complaint over health insurance exchange insurance reps
A group of eight organizations, led by Citizens for Economic Opportunity and including the CT Health Policy Project, have requested an inquiry into the appointment of three members of the CT Health Insurance Exchange. The letter asserts that the appointments violate the law that created the Exchange which excludes membership by anyone “affiliated with or…
Read MoreSuper Committee and HEP, PCMH webinar videos and slides online
Webinar slides and videos are now posted for our last two webinars. Last week we heard from Kate McEvoy of the State Comptroller’s Office about the state employee plan’s Health Enhancement and Patient-Centered Medical Home Projects. Chris Whatley from CSG’s Washington office talked Monday about the Congressional Super Committee, federal budget negotiations and the impact…
Read MoreAdvocate and small business concerns about CT insurance exchange
Together with Small Businesses for a Healthy CT, the CT Health Policy Project has been meeting with CT Health Insurance Exchange Board members. The Board has been criticized for lacking consumer representation. Our concerns center on rebuilding public trust, effective outreach and public education, active purchasing to use the collective power of the exchange to…
Read More