insurance
Health Care Advocate’s Office saved CT patients $5.07 for every $1 spent on the office last year
The annual report of our state Office of Healthcare Advocate (OHA) describes the importance of this office and what CT consumers could lose if the Governor is successful in eliminating it. The number of patients getting help from the office has grown every year reaching 2,143 last year. Those cases returned over $5 million to…
Read MoreCOBRA calls to the consumer helpline
I have been getting more phone calls from people who are losing their jobs and are looking for health insurance. We discuss COBRA as an option but it is usually too expensive for them. For one consumer and his two children, it would cost $1000 per month for the COBRA premiums (under the recently passed…
Read MoreCT insurers push plan for universal health care; Rests on individual mandate
According to today’s Hartford Courant, CT’s insurance industry is promoting a plan to cover everyone in the state. The industry is proposing to create a pool for individuals who can’t get or can’t afford insurance in the market now. They expect state subsidies to make the coverage affordable – there is no mention of the…
Read MoreThe federal stimulus and SCHIP: How much help is there for CT’s health?
A new analysis by the CT Health Policy Project details significant relief for CT’s consumers and our state budget in new federal legislation. CT can expect $1.3 billion in higher Medicaid reimbursements raising our matching rate from 50% to 56.2% until the end of next year, but the money comes with strings. To qualify the…
Read MoreMore companies conducting dependent coverage eligibility audits
Until recently most companies have just taken an employee’s word that the people they list for coverage under their family benefits are eligible. However, as health costs rise and margins drop more employers are checking, according to the Wall Street Journal. Almost three in four large US companies intend to conduct “dependent eligibility audits” this…
Read MoreCT insurers push plan for universal health care; Rests on individual mandate
According to today’s Hartford Courant, CT’s insurance industry is promoting a plan to cover everyone in the state. The industry is proposing to create a pool for individuals who can’t get or can’t afford insurance in the market now. They expect state subsidies to make the coverage affordable – there is no mention of the…
Read MoreFebruary health policy web quiz
Test your knowledge of an individual insurance mandate – what it would mean for CT, the challenges, and costs. Take the CT Health Policy Project February health policy web quiz. For more on the individual mandate, go to our policy paper or issue brief.
Read MoreWhy an individual mandate won’t work in CT
A new paper by the CT Health Policy Project outlines why an individual mandate, a law requiring every state resident to purchase health coverage won’t work. (For the shorter issue brief, click here.) Mandates are no guarantee of compliance; CT requires drivers to have auto insurance but 12% of drivers are uninsured. Unreimbursed care for…
Read MoreCT health plan comparisons
US News and World Reports has published their annual national comparison of HMOs. CT has two commercial HMOs listed in the top 20 “Honor Roll” – Health New England (#6) and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (#7). Health New England is not listed as a managed care organization on the CT Insurance Dept.’s website. A…
Read MoreNew law allows children to stay on their parents’ policies until age 26, but there’s a catch
A new law takes effect January 1, 2009 that allows children to stay on their parent’s health policies to age 26. As young adults are at highest risk of being uninsured, this will be an important option to reduce CT’s uninsured. Previously, children were only covered on their parent’s policies until age 19 or 23…
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