insurance
Analysis: How Trump’s Election Could Impact Healthcare in Connecticut
Health policy circles are buzzing with potential policy changes under the second Trump administration. Last time, Trump proposed significant cuts and administrative burdens for Medicaid, which covers 934,043 low-income Connecticut residents. That makes this a very bad time to be considering bringing the failed private Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) back into the program. Other significant…
Read MoreCTNJ: Council Takes Input About State’s Medicaid Program; Advocates Say Leave It Alone
In light of the results of last week’s election, the last thing Connecticut should do is make any adjustments to the way the state provides Medicaid to eligible residents, advocates said last week. Read more
Read MoreBook Club: Revenge of the Tipping Point
Malcolm Gladwell revisits his 2006 classic in the new Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. He expands and updates the original premise – that ideas and trends grow slowly, like a pandemic, until they hit a point where they go viral and radically change the context around the…
Read MoreOpinion: MCOs still a bad idea, New Haven Register
On behalf of Rep. Peter Villano, his wife urges Governor Lamont not to reverse 12 years of progress in HUSKY in a Letter to the Editor of the New Haven Register last week. Peter was the legislative champion who fought for over a decade to move private insurers/MCOs out of HUSKY, and since then the…
Read MoreAnalysis: The uninsured are still with us
September used to be a key month for policy wonks. We all eagerly awaited new Census numbers of the uninsured. But since passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there is less attention to the uninsured. There is a sense that we are past the problem of people without coverage. But the latest Census numbers…
Read MoreHow CT can support the professionals who support patients
How CT can support the professionals who support patients A new brief by the CT Health Foundation highlights the value of trained health support professions and recommendations for sustainable funding. The brief outlines evidence that including support professionals in care teams improve health outcomes and patient experience of care, especially for underserved populations. Engaging them…
Read MoreSix common myths about healthcare and three reasons why people believe them
Healthcare is complicated, people are easily confused, and there are powerful motivations to believe the many misconceptions. I was reminded of this at the last meeting of the industry-led group that is steering the state’s efforts to control healthcare costs. But the problem isn’t limited to industry representatives. Read more
Read MoreCT ranks best in the nation for the lowest prevalence of mental illness, but worse in access to care
Overall, Connecticut ranks second in the nation in mental health wellbeing, behind only Massachusetts, according to Mental Health America’s 2024 rankings. We benefit from having the lowest prevalence of mental illness in the nation. But still one in nine (11%) Connecticut youth and 4% of adults have serious thoughts of suicide. Connecticut has lots of…
Read MoreCT Mirror Opinion: Keep MCOs out of HUSKY health care
“In the past, managed care organizations were a disaster for Connecticut’s Medicaid program“ Former legislator, Medicaid provider, member of Medicaid’s state oversight council, and champion for member access to care who lived through the MCO years, Vickie Nardello says, “ I strongly disagree with Gov. Ned Lamont’s plan to bring managed care organizations (MCOs) back…
Read MoreAnalysis: Medicare’s drug price negotiation – Why it’s a big deal
For the first time, Medicare has negotiated prices with pharmaceutical companies. Prescription drug costs are a significant driver of rising healthcare costs in Connecticut, rising 7.7% from 2021 to 2022, more than any other category. Medicare covers one in five Connecticut residents, mainly seniors and people with disabilities, and is the biggest purchaser of drugs…
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