CTNJ reports on SIM conflict of interest in grant applications

  Today’s CT News Junkie highlights the ethics loophole that has allowed a SIM steering committee member to apply for SIM funds to his organization. The loophole in the law, identified by the Citizen’s Ethics Board, is that appointees of the Lieutenant Governor are not subject to the Public Official’s Code of Ethics. The Code…

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Webinar: Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients – Lessons for Connecticut

Join us Monday, June 22nd at 2pm for a webinar on best practices in complex care management for the most fragile and costly patients. Evidence is growing that we cannot fix our health care system without addressing the needs of the small number of patients with very complex and costly health problems. Luckily CT can…

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CSG/ERC webinar highlights best practices for state exchanges, power of state-state collaboration

Last week’s CSSG/ERC health committee webinar highlighted just a few of the benefits of the collaboration between CT and MD’s state health insurance exchanges. Peter VanLoon, of AccessHealthCT, and Subramanian Muniasamy of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, described how sharing resources and lessons between their states has helped both exchanges improve over the last two…

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Ethics Commission recommends SIM adopt conflict of interest policy, pursuing change in the law to close “loophole”

At yesterday’s meeting, the state Ethics Commission issued an opinion that, due to a giant loophole in the law, SIM committee and Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) members are not subject to the Code of Ethics for Public Officials but acknowledged significant potential for conflicted interests and so recommend that SIM adopt such a policy voluntarily.…

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Ten CT hospitals paid over $1 million to an employee last year

Ten CT hospitals paid over $1 million each in total compensation to 19 employees last fiscal year, according to a new DPH report. The lowest paid top employee was at Essent-Sharon (CT’s only for-profit hospital to date) and the highest was at Yale-New Haven topping out at $3.5 million. Sharon Hospital had four millionaires on…

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Webinar Wednesday: Health Insurance Exchanges – States Sharing Resources, Solving Problems

Join CSG/ERC’s health policy committee for a webinar this Wednesday, May 20th – Health Insurance Exchanges – States Sharing Resources, Solving Problems. We’ll hear from two states – Connecticut and Maryland – that shared expertise and best practices on health insurance exchanges. Depending on the Supreme Court’s ruling this summer in King v. Burwell, eight…

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CAB continues closed meetings to make decisions

Yesterday’s SIM Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) meeting to choose consumer representatives to SIM committees was again held in secret. An FOI complaint is pending over their lack of transparency. This time applicants were notified that their applications were being reviewed but less than 24 hours before the meeting. One applicant requested, as allowed under state…

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CSG/ERC webinar to highlight CT’s exchange services for other states

Join CSG/ERC’s health policy committee for a webinar, open to all, May 20th – Health Insurance Exchanges – States Sharing Resources, Solving Problems. We’ll hear Peter VanLoon of Access Health CT, describe opportunities to assist other states with their exchanges. Depending on how the Supreme Court rules in King v. Burwell this summer, eight million…

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Community Health Worker Symposium

Learn more about Community Health Workers in CT at a Symposium sponsored by the Hispanic Health Council May 27th from 8am to 2pm at the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Hear from CT hospital, academic, philanthropic and payer leaders about evidence-based models that integrate CHWs into clinical teams and community settings and options for sustainable…

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CT conference on SIM payment reforms in other states

Yesterday the CT Health Foundation hosted an interesting conference highlighting SIM plans from leading states – VT, OR, MN, and ME. The conference started and ended with reports from CT’s DSS about our significant Medicaid successes in improving quality and access while controlling costs – and how that progress was only possible when we shifted…

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