Covered Connecticut – Origins, Goals, Opportunities, and Concerns

Read the brief Covered Connecticut is a new program to cover uninsured state residents with no-cost health insurance coverage through Access Health CT, Connecticut’s health insurance exchange. The program leverages federal subsidies, some of which are temporary, and an anticipated Medicaid waiver to offer state residents combined with state funds. Some services, missing from exchange…

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Room for improvement on CT health risks

Download the report Connecticut adults’ health risks are largely similar to the US average, but that’s not great news. According to the latest CDC survey of American adults, Connecticut ranked better than other Americans on most health risks in 2019. In most cases, we are only slightly healthier. We did exceed the US average in…

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New healthy aging data report finds CT growing older in every community

Connecticut is the 7th oldest state in the country, according to a new analysis by UConn Boston and Tufts Health Plan Foundation, with 23% of state residents over age 60. The challenges of aging are not evenly spread across the state. Visit the site to see how seniors in your town/city compare to the state…

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Social media for advocates

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OHS committee considering dumbing down successful PCMH standards

Among other troubling plans, the Office of Health Strategy’s Primary Care Subgroup is considering four options to certify high-performing primary care practices for higher levels of reimbursement. The committee is deciding how to double spending on primary care while simultaneously capping healthcare cost growth. At their meeting this week, the committee of mainly primary care…

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CT’s well-being is improving, even during the pandemic

Connecticut ranked seventh among states in overall health and well-being last year, according to the latest Community Well-Being Index from the BU School of Public Health. According to the Index, “well-being is about the interaction between physical health, finding your daily work and experiences fulfilling, having strong social relationships and access to the resources you…

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JAMA highlights CT bill to limit extreme drug price increases

A recent JAMA article highlights bills to reduce drug price increases across states, including Connecticut’s bill. The bills call for clawing back 80% of drug price increases over inflation plus 2% — a healthy profit that many industries would happily welcome. Other states also considering bills include Massachusetts, Maine, Washington, and Hawaii; more are expected…

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Connecticut individual plans are profitable

Download the report here Individual coverage in Connecticut, , has been more profitable than most states. From 2011 through 2018, each month $55 of premiums went to profit in Connecticut, the 15th highest profitability among states and above the US average of $47. Individual plans in Massachusetts and New York were far less profitable, while…

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Governor’s budget includes drug cost control and exchange subsidies, but misses other health priorities

Released today, the Governor’s budget proposal for the next two fiscal years acknowledges the importance of addressing critical health priorities, especially during a pandemic. The document highlights the state’s public health challenges of funding and implementing COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination all while facing a severe economic slowdown, high unemployment, and increased demand for social…

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CTNJ: Analysis — Control Prices to Lower Health Insurance Premiums

Connecticut health insurance premiums are the sixth highest in the U.S. While our costs are rising less quickly than other states, that’s cold comfort to Connecticut’s households and employers. This isn’t a new problem and it has not been ignored. The simple fixes haven’t been enough. Read more

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