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Discussion on prescription drug costs leaves panelists looking for answers
HARTFORD, Conn. – State officials, doctors, and pharmaceutical experts held a forum Tuesday to, in the words of one of the panelists, start a conversation on how to stem “the soaring cost of prescription drugs” in Connecticut. Dr. Henry Jacobs, president of the Connecticut State Medical Society, was the panelist who made the comment about…
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Advocates want ‘Ban The Box’ measure enacted
HARTFORD, Conn. – Standing outside a West Hartford sandwich shop Friday, protesters called on employers to end what they called “the foolish and discriminatory” policy of excluding people with criminal histories from getting a job.
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Health care advocates push for greater scrutiny of Cigna-Anthem merger plan
HARTFORD, Conn. – A new coalition of groups opposed to the proposed $54 billion merger of Anthem with Bloomfield-based Cigna called Wednesday for state regulators to ensure as much public scrutiny of the deal as possible.
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Efficient, effective home care for veterans
HARTFORD, Conn. – U.S. Army veteran Bob Swirsky’s face lights up when home health care nurse Jeanette Hutchinson enters his room to check his blood pressure and attend to his body to prevent bedsores. “It’s going to be 120 over 60,” Swirsky says, as Hutchinson inflates the cuff on the meter on his left arm.…
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Opinion: Distrust of Hartford runs deep, but free market is no safe haven
Sarah Darer Littman is an award-winning columnist and novelist of books for teens. A former securities analyst, she’s now an adjunct in the MFA program at WCSU, and enjoys helping young people discover the power of finding their voice as an instructor at the Writopia Lab. As of last week, I’m a member of one…
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Poll finds opposition to new tax on ambulatory care centers
HARTFORD, Conn. – The vast majority of Connecticut voters are unaware of a new 6 percent provider tax levied on same-day procedures and surgeries performed at ambulatory surgery centers, but most who learn of the tax oppose it, according to a poll released this week.
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Study: State worker benefits are 25 to 46 percent above private sector in CT
HARTFORD, Conn. – A new analysis by the conservative Yankee Institute claims there is $1.4 to $2.5 billion in annual savings to be realized by offering state workers the kind of benefits packages commonly used in the private sector.
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Opinion: High deductible plans can change health care for the better
Suzanne Bates is the policy director for the Yankee Institute for Public Policy. She lives in South Windsor with her family. Follow her on Twitter @suzebates. Earlier this summer my son was injured in a backyard football game. After hearing a loud crack we were worried he broke his ankle, so we hurried him to…
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Report: Women in CT denied some mandated health benefits
HARTFORD, Conn. – Women in Connecticut have been denied health insurance benefits in violation of the federal Affordable Care Act, according to a study by the National Women’s Law Center. Connecticut is one of 15 states included in the study, which analyzed the 2014 and 2015 health plans of companies that provide coverage under the…
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Health care advocate raises red flag
HARTFORD, Conn. – A key health care advocate is raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest in the Healthcare Innovation Steering Committee, whose members oversee the $45 million State Innovation Model grant and were appointed by Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman. The committee has been vetting ideas, issuing RFPs, and then awarding smaller, project-specific grants…
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Opinion: Obamacare opponents should be careful what they wish for
Former CIGNA executive-turned-whistleblower Wendell Potter is writing about the health care industry and the ongoing battle for health reform for the Center for Public Integrity. “Obamacare is a train wreck, and that’s actually not fair to train wrecks.”
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Health care tax credit available this tax year
HARTFORD, Conn. – A new tax credit is available to help small-business owners provide health insurance to their employees, but certain stipulations are limiting the number of those who can reap its benefit. The Health Care Tax Credit is an option for eligible businesses beginning this tax year and can be claimed for two consecutive…
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Hospitals required to tell patients of observation care status
HARTFORD, Conn. – Starting Wednesday, a new state law requires Connecticut hospitals to tell all patients when they are being kept in the hospital for observation instead of being admitted and to warn them about the financial consequences.
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Medical providers will have to give notice of mergers, acquisitions
HARTFORD, Conn. – New legislation requiring hospitals, health systems, and medical practices to provide Attorney General George Jepsen with notice of acquisitions or changes in affiliation goes into effect on Oct. 1. The law is in response to a rapid consolidation of Connecticut’s health care industry.
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Opinion: Current model of health care delivery is unsustainable
Evelyn Barnum, is the chief executive officer of the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, which represents 13 FQHCs. As noted in the recent editorial by Ellen Andrews, discussions are taking place in Hartford about how people receive health care and how health care providers should be paid. Requiring people across the country to have…
