Many in health care say joining larger systems is key to small hospitals’ survival. But some policymakers are wary of the trend, saying it can raise prices without necessarily improving quality. And leaders of the state’s few remaining independent community hospitals say their organizations are facing stresses that could jeopardize their viability.
Arielle Levin Becker
Arielle Levin Becker covered health care for The Connecticut Mirror. She previously worked for The Hartford Courant, most recently as its health reporter, and has also covered small towns, courts and education in Connecticut and New Jersey. She was a finalist in 2009 for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists, a recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship and the third-place winner in 2013 for an in-depth piece on caregivers from the National Association of Health Journalists. She is a 2004 graduate of Yale University.
Posted inHealth
‘Early intervention is the key:’ Identifying trauma in young children
“With all my being, I cannot stress this enough: Early intervention is the key,” a Groton mother of a teen who experienced trauma as a child told an audience at the state Capitol Thursday. “My son’s now getting intervention, and it’s working. But he’s now 15, and we have a long road to go.”
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As costs rise, will narrow network insurance plans catch on in CT?
Would you buy a health plan that covered fewer hospitals and doctors if the premiums were 10 percent less? So-called narrow-network plans haven’t had much traction in Connecticut, but some think that’s likely to change.
Posted inHealth
Sick after hours? How to navigate your health care options
There’s no shortage of options for patients who are sick after hours or on weekends and don’t need to go to the ER: urgent care centers, retail clinics, even virtual visits through telemedicine. But what will you get from each of them? How do you decide where to go? Here’s some advice.
Posted inHealth
The health care that happens outside the doctor’s office
A few years ago, Nadia Lugo went door-to-door in Hartford’s North End with a list of names and a mission: Find people who were going to the emergency room frequently. Figure out what was keeping them from staying healthy or getting the right kind of care. And try to help. It was the kind of work many in health policy now view as key toward improving the outcomes of high-need patients. But incorporating it into the health care system remains a challenge.
Posted inHealth
Unspeakable horrors gave Theanvy Kuoch incredible strength and compassion
Theanvy Kuoch survived torture, enslavement and the death of 19 of her relatives at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in her native Cambodia. She came to the United States as a refugee in 1981 and has led Khmer Health Advocates, a well-respected organization that serves refugees, for 35 years. She spoke to The Mirror about refugee health needs, her own experiences and the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on people who came to the country as refugees.
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Analysis: GOP Obamacare replacement could cost CT $89M to $539M
The administration also estimated that 34,000 people who buy health plans through the state’s health insurance exchange would not renew their coverage for 2018 if the proposal becomes law.
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Anthem uncertain it will continue in CT’s individual market next year
The company’s president wrote that the insurer is likely to notify regulators this summer that Anthem will withdraw from the state’s individual market. She added Anthem might not actually choose to pull out of the market, but is required to give six months’ notice if it withdraws and needs to preserve its options.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
Once again, school health clinics facing cuts
School-based health centers have widespread support among policymakers. Research has linked them to better academic and health outcomes, and experts consider them a key way to help students access mental health care. So why do they keep facing budget cuts?
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
What the GOP Obamacare replacement bill means for you and CT
The Republican proposal has big implications for Connecticut residents and state government. Here are nine things to know about it.
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2018 exchange plans could cover fewer hospitals, doctors, drugs
Insurance companies that sell coverage through the state’s health insurance exchange next year will be allowed to cover fewer hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs under changes the exchange’s board approved Tuesday. Officials hope those changes could help offset rate increases caused by the increased price and use of medical care and prescription drugs.
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Kevin Counihan on the ACA: ‘Whatever happens, Trump is going to own this’
Kevin Counihan used to run the health insurance exchanges that serve most of the United States. Now he’s a customer. He talked to The Mirror about efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act, why the health law has gotten more popular since Barack Obama left office, how to keep insurance companies from fleeing exchanges, and what can be done to make it easier to buy coverage.
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School-level immunization data could be released under proposal
Wondering how many children at your kid’s school aren’t vaccinated? If you live in Connecticut, there’s no way to find out. But that could change under a legislative proposal favored by the state Department of Public Health, which is currently prohibited from releasing data on immunization rates by school.
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Insurance coverage mandates would face more analysis under Malloy proposal
The prospect of requiring health insurance plans to cover specific treatments or services is an annual debate in the Connecticut General Assembly, often pitting patients who faced problems against critics who say mandates raise insurance premiums. Now the governor wants to change the process – a proposal that’s drawn both praise and opposition.
Posted inHealth
CT Obamacare exchange at a ‘critical crossroads,’ leader says
Jim Wadleigh cited a new IRS policy that could affect the individual mandate, a proposed federal rule aimed at stabilizing insurance markets, and the ongoing uncertainty about the Affordable Care Act’s future. The exchange also has a budget crunch to fix.