|
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
CT Health Notes Issue Date: 2/17/2011Governor Malloy's first budget proposal
Governor Malloy's first budget proposal, released yesterday, includes tough choices for health care consumers but also some very good news. New copays for Medicaid services will likely reduce both appropriate and inappropriate utilization, but all Medicaid members will be able to access important tobacco cessation treatment. Reductions in benefits for low income adults are concerning but moving HUSKY families out of HMOs and into non-risk Administrative Services Organizations and creating PCCM/patient-centered medical homes for every Medicaid member is an important innovation that will save $41 million in FY 2012 (only effective for half the year) and $86 million in FY 2013. For our analysis, read our Policymakers Issue Brief. Webinar: eHealthCT's health information exchange
Join us for a webinar with Scott Cleary of eHealthCT on February 22, 2011 at 1 pm to hear about CT's successful Medicaid health information exchange. Funded under a Medicaid transformation grant, the pilot exchange is up and running, sharing treatment information securely with consumer-friendly privacy protections, to improve patient safety and reduce duplication. Issue brief - self-insuring HUSKY could save $40 million or more
Our new policymaker issue brief outlines how moving HUSKY to self-insurance should save the state at least $40 million, without any changes in access to care. Surprisingly in 2008, under the PHIP/ASO model, medical costs were slightly lower than under HMO capitation the next year. Because the shift to self-insurance was sudden DSS was in a poor negotiating position. The administrative fees paid to the HMOs were $5 per member per month higher than the HMOs spent the next year - when they were spending their own money. As the state is now in more deliberative negotiations with the HMOs, it is possible to secure more reasonable administrative rates. Together, the lower medical costs and more reasonable administrative fees could result in significant savings to the state. Both SustiNet and the current state budget require self-insurance for HUSKY. If DSS chooses to re-bid the program rather than limiting negotiations to the current HMOs, we could save more and potentially engage partners with larger provider panels - easing the severe shortage of providers willing to see HUSKY patients. Update: Last week, Lieutenant Governor Wyman and OPM Secretary Barnes announced that Connecticut will shift to self-insurance through an ASO for all Medicaid members by January 1, 2012 and expand Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) statewide. February web quiz - Insurance offerings in Connecticut
Test your knowledge of health insurance offerings by Connecticut employers. Take the February Connecticut Health Policy Web quiz. Cthealthbook.org - new collection of resources
The updated CTHealthBook site includes a collection of basics on Connecticut's health care environment. Health Policy 101 is a basics module created as a training tool for incoming Connecticut Health Policy Project interns, volunteers and staff. Health Policy 201 includes 21 sets of slides from a class given this fall on topics ranging from health care finance, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, the uninsured and international comparisons along with some of the class writing assignments. The site also includes a link to our 2010 candidate briefing book with 21 short briefs on Connecticut's health care environment, background, trends, and policy options. Topics in the briefing book include obesity, tobacco, health information technology, workforce, patient-centered medical homes, and accountable care organizations. Highlights from the CT Health Notes Blog
SustiNet and health insurance exchange bills heard Desig Thinking Conference – Designing for Health Health in the News - long term care insurance, mandates, and Medicaid inpatient admissions up Legislators looking at UConn contract for prisoners' care for savings Consumers getting too many heart tests Aetna begins tiered benefit offerings Vermont pursuing single payer reform Congressional staff not worried about defunding Rep. Courtney on health reform repeal debate CHCradio.com – Headlines and interviews with health policy leaders Advocacy group financial ties to drug companies probed UConn Dempsey Hospital's high use of controversial scans questioned SustiNet final report off to General Assembly Geek alert: New report on geographic variation in Medicare spending Serious quality of care questions in defibrillator implants Online calculator outlines bottom line business case for quality New report confirms that uninsured are NOT the reason for ER overcrowding, Medicaid is CT Health Notes is an informational newsletter of the Connecticut Health Policy Project. Feel free to share CT Health Notes freely. If you know someone who would like to subscribe, please refer them to our online subscription form. If you would like to be removed from the list, please use our online form to unsubscribe. Return to CT Health Notes Home Page |