Investigators highlight problems in Medicaid managed care nationally – but through collaborative effort CT is a success story

Getting a lot of national attention, a new report by federal investigators highlights significant problems in accessing Medicaid care, largely through private managed care plans, as millions of Americans enter the program. However, through collaborative effort, Connecticut serves as an exception to that trend. The report outlines a lack of access or quality standards across…

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HHS finds ACA is lowering hospital uncompensated care costs

CT News Junkie is reporting on a new analysis by HHS finding that hospital uncompensated care costs are down significantly, particularly in Medicaid expansion states like Connecticut. However the CT Hospital Association says they have not experienced a decrease in the first nine months of 2014. The state’s OPM budget office expects to see a…

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CEPAC diabetes comparative effectiveness meeting Oct. 29th

The next CEPAC meeting will review the latest research on effectiveness of treatments for diabetes. CEPAC is a New England group of researchers, consumers, physicians and payers that evaluates and translates the best information on treatment effectiveness into useable tools and policies to improve the quality and value of health care in the region. Past…

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Webinar — Provider Payment Reform Options: Aspiration Meets Reality

Join Bob Berenson, MD of the Urban Institute for a CTHPP webinar November 18th at 1pm as he explains health care payment reform options. Dr. Berenson has long health policy experience, both inside and outside government. He served as Director of Medicare Payment Policy at CMS. His work focuses on quality measurement/improvement and Medicare shared…

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SIM update

Across various meetings this month we’ve received a few updates on CT’s SIM planning. CT is competing with 17 other states for 12 test grants. SIM staff has acknowledged receipt of the independent advocates’ letter to CMMI and an FOI regarding Consumer Advisory Board voting and SIM budget development, but we’ve had no response to…

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Medicaid Council meeting

This month’s MAPOC meetingwas loaded with updates on the program. The highlight was results from the newest mystery shopper survey. Callers were able to get appointments within appropriate timeframes with 63.8% of participating providers this year, compared to 33.6% last year. Even that is better than the only survey conducted while HUSKY was run by…

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Independent advocates raise SIM concerns with CMMI

Twenty-two independent consumer advocates signed a letter sent Friday to CMMI voicing concerns about CT’s SIM application. While advocates have many concerns, the letter focuses on the sudden planned shift to shared savings payments in Medicaid. Concerns include the prospect that shared savings incentives could drive inappropriate underservice and that state’s quality and financial monitoring resources…

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Medicaid, SIM committee update – PCMH success continues, SIM making important Medicaid decisions

The Care Coordination committee of MAPOC has been given responsibility for oversight and advice on SIM’s controversial new plans for Medicaid, especially the shared savings payment model. The committee’s original mission remains as well – to track Medicaid’s successful patient-centered medical home program. In yesterday’s meeting we heard more about continuing PCMH success. The number…

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CTNJ Op-Ed: Medicaid spending myth driving unhealthy policies

An Op-Ed published in today’s CT News Junkie debunks the persistent, old (pre-ACA) myth that state spending on Medicaid is “out of control”. Unfortunately that myth is driving SIM policymakers into a risky shared savings payment model that is unproven, ill conceived and wouldn’t make much difference in the state budget even if it worked.

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More CT Medicaid benefits from dropping insurers – no ACA taxes

Because CT dropped insurers from our Medicaid plan three years ago, we are not subject to the ACA tax on insurers saving state taxpayers more than a billion dollars over the next decade.  The ACA tax on fully-insured plans is due for the first time September 30 and will cost fully-insured states $700 million just this…

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