Search results for: cost cap
Health care forum at the LOB
Yesterday’s health care forum started with a strong presentation of the SustiNet proposal by Juan Figueroa of the Universal Health Care Foundation of CT and Stan Dorn of the Urban Institute. Juan described the inclusive process to develop the plan engaging diverse voices including business, providers, clergy, advocates, and consumers. Stan described the major tenets…
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;…
Read MorePCCM could save HUSKY more than $100 million over HMOs
An analysis by the CT Health Policy Project estimates that it will cost the state $113 million more annually to moving HUSKY families to HMOs than to Primary Care Case Management (PCCM). PCCM is a way of running HUSKY without HMOs, by creating “medical homes” to coordinate care. PCCM has been successful in thirty other states…
Read MoreHUSKY/Charter Oak update
At today’s Medicaid Managed Care Council, the HUSKY HMOs’ provider panel reports showed that progress continues to be very slow. Sen. Harris pointed out that at this pace, the two new HMOs will take over a year to reach capacity similar to CHN’s panels. In the counties already transitioning to the HMOs, 94% of HUSKY…
Read MoreMedicaid 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 MoreSinking 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 MoreState taking applications for Charter Oak
This morning at the Town Line Diner in Rocky Hill, the state began signing up consumers for the Charter Oak Plan. The Governor held a press conference at the diner announcing the opening of the plan and two consumers filled out applications. New information includes premiums which vary between $75 and $279/month and an annual…
Read MoreHUSKY/PCCM/Charter Oak update
At Friday’s Medicaid Managed Care Council meeting, DSS described plans to transition 337,181 HUSKY members from the current non-capitated, fee-for-service structure back into potentially three capitated HMOs starting July 1st, to begin Charter Oak enrollment also on July 1st, the planned dental carve out also set to begin July 1st, and their plan to provide…
Read MoreCharter Oak update
Last night, the House passed a stripped down version of the Charter Oak fix bill, 5617, leaving only mental health parity. The House version removed critical provisions including dental and vision care, removing limits on prescriptions, medical equipment and lifetime limits on care, independent grievance and accountability options, sustainability provisions, prohibition against contracting with unlicensed…
Read MoreCommunity Catalyst at the HealthFirst Authority
Friday, Michael Miller of Massachusetts-based Community Catalyst presented to the Cost, Cost Containment & Finance Working Group of the HealthFirst Authority. His presentation focused on “cost containment strategies in other states.” He opened with, “Cost containment is not a useful framework.” He went on to say that if we were spending more than other countries…
Read More