Charter Oak/HUSKY/PCCM update

DSS Comm. Mike Starkowski met with the Appropriations and Human Service Committees yesterday delivering a 72 page program update. The big news (from our perspective) is that the PCCM concept paper, drafted by a working group of DSS staff and advocates (including the CT Health Policy Project), will be submitted to the legislature next week.…

Read More

Troubling Charter Oak call

We’ve received calls from many consumers about Charter Oak – and it is a good option for some. However yesterday we got a troubling call on our Consumer Helpline (888) 873-4585. Leslie Dmowski called the Charter Oak application number to find out how to apply. She was injured in a car accident and can no…

Read More

What would you tell her?

I just returned from a wonderful trip visiting family. While I was there, I ended up in a conversation that put me in an awkward situation, given my job. I was talking with one of my sisters and some of her friends, about half of whom are uninsured. One friend, who is a self-employed 39…

Read More

HUSKY/Charter Oak health plan rates up 24% from last year

After accounting for the impact of dental and prescription drug carve outs, the capitated rates paid to the three HUSKY HMOs – Aetna, AmeriChoice (United) and CHN – are 24% higher than the capitated rates paid to the plans last year before November. This is according to an analysis done July 17th for DSS by…

Read More

Mr. Lembo goes to Washington

Yesterday State Health Care Advocate Kevin Lembo testified at a Congressional hearing on health insurance company abuses — post claims underwriting and policy rescissions. That’s when an insurance company cancels a policy after consumer has been paying premiums faithfully, sometimes for years, and they get sick. The company, when faced with mounting claims, looks back…

Read More

Concerns about new Charter Oak $100,000 annual cap

On Monday, Time magazine posted a story called “Low Health Insurance Caps Leave Patients Stranded.” The article exposes the real impact of caps as low as $1 million on individuals and families who face very serious illnesses. This issue is particularly important as the new state Charter Oak Health Plan rolls out. On the day…

Read More

Health First Authority update

Today’s Health First Authority meeting was uneventful. Sharon Langer from CT Voices for Children gave a primer on Medicaid and SCHIP. David Parrella from DSS gave an update on Charter Oak and the HUSKY transition (the same slides he used for Friday’s Medicaid Managed Care Council meeting). DSS has developed a concept paper for an…

Read More

Medicaid Managed Care Council update

We got a first look at the HUSKY HMOs’ provider networks at Friday’s Medicaid Managed Care Council meeting and it wasn’t good. CHN, which has been a part of HUSKY from the beginning, has robust panels of providers across the state. However, the two new HMOs – Americhoice (United) and Aetna – have a long…

Read More

CT’s Health Partnership bill featured in NY Times article

Today’s NY Times includes an article outlining proposals to make health coverage more affordable for small businesses. Small companies pay 18% more than large businesses for the same coverage. The recent CT Healthcare Partnership bill proposing to open the state employee pool to small businesses was vetoed by the Governor; however she indicated that she…

Read More

Sinking or Swimming in the High-Risk Pool?

On the front page of the New York Times this morning, I saw an article that highlights a problem with proposals to model a new component of national healthcare coverage on states’ high-risk pools. Earlier this year, I had been looking at the Connecticut High-Risk Pool (created by the Connecticut Health Care Act of 1975).…

Read More