Medicaid
Governor releases deficit mitigation proposed cuts for this year
Yesterday Governor Rell released a proposal to mitigate the state budget deficit for the current fiscal year that ends June 30th estimated at $1.1 billion and growing. She wants the legislature to act on it next Wednesday. While her proposals look very familiar, this is not the same as the cuts she proposed earlier this…
Read MoreSheri Aquilino speaks out
The following email arrived at our office yesterday from one of our Board members at the CT Health Policy Project. Sheri Aquilino and her two children used to be on HUSKY; she now has coverage for her family through her job. She feels strongly that people need to understand what the Governor’s proposals for HUSKY…
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 MoreBehavioral Health Partnership Update
DSS delivered some very good news at Wednesday’s meeting of the Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council. The Behavioral Health Partnership (BHP) provides mental health and substance abuse services to HUSKY, SAGA and DCF clients; DSS hired Value Options to administer the program but retains a great deal of oversight. The BHP was created when behavioral…
Read MoreCharter Oak calls to the Consumer Helpline
I have been receiving a lot of calls on our Consumer Helpline (1-888-873-4585) from people having trouble signing up for the Charter Oak Health Care plan. Many of them are having difficulty in even getting answers to their questions from the toll free number that is the only one available for them to use. The…
Read MoreMedicaid Managed Care Council/PCCM update
At Friday’s Council meeting DSS announced that not only did they default HUSKY families in Anthem and traditional Medicaid to only the two new HMOs – Aetna and AmeriChoice — but that they will continue defaulting into only AmeriChoice all through February. Reportedly 63,000 HUSKY members were defaulted on February 1st.The reason given is to…
Read MoreGovernor releases her budget proposal
As promised, the Governor’s state budget proposal for the next two years released today includes painful cuts. Overall, Medicaid would be cut $283 million (6.8%) in the first year and $317 million (7.2%) in the second year. SAGA would be cut $13 m (5%) and $14 m (6.5%) in the two years. Among the proposals…
Read MoreCT’s state and national legislators express concerns about forcing HUSKY families into inadequate HMOs effective today
Friday morning state legislators gathered for a press conference outlining their concerns that DSS plans to force 60,000 HUSKY consumers today into new HMOs that are not ready for them. DSS chose to default today any HUSKY families who are still in Anthem’s network or in traditional Medicaid into only two of the three HMOs…
Read MoreHouse stimulus package would give CT $474 million for Medicaid; COBRA subsidies for unemployed
Yesterday the US House passed an $819 billion stimulus package meant to reverse the declining economy. A great deal of the package is devoted to health, including $228.6 million in increased Medicaid funds to CT in 2009 and another $245.8 million in 2010. Those funds are from raising the federal Medicaid matching rate to states…
Read MoreHUSKY/PCCM update
Yesterday’s meeting of the Medicaid Managed Care Council was lively, but ended before addressing some important issues. The Commissioner acknowledged that they are still assessing the costs of the program under the current non-capitated arrangement. He stated that they know that the current system costs more than before Nov. 2007 when the capitated contracts ended;…
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