The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/)
The resources for addiction and mental health services have always been limited, especially in rural areas like Litchfield County, but with more and more individuals in need, finding care has become an even more daunting endeavor. Kerri Johnson knows, because she has been there. In this Sunday Conversation, she teams up with John Simoncelli, executive director of Greenwoods Counseling Referrals in Litchfield, to talk about the problem.
State union employees vote to ratify a package of concessions to help the state solve its budget crisis, the biggest item in a week’s worth of state budget news. Meanwhile, the state creates more jobs, and Connecticut officials make their presence known in Washington, D.C.
Federal health officials made more than $16 billion in improper payments to private Medicare Advantage health plans last year and need to crack down on billing errors by the insurers, a top congressional auditor has testified.
As President Trump’s pick to lead the agency that approves immigration petitions heads toward likely confirmation, more than 300 advocacy organizations are urging the Senate to oppose it, citing ProPublica’s examination of the nominee’s record. Lee Francis Cissna, a veteran policymaker, was nominated in February to lead the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the sprawling agency that handles applications for green cards, citizenship, visas, asylum and the controversial deportation protections known as DACA, which benefit 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
While legislative voting on the proposed union concessions deal could begin Monday, the top Republican in the Senate charged House Democratic leadership with irresponsibly rushing action on a crucial agreement before key policy and fiscal analyses can be reviewed.
WASHINGTON — Most Connecticut residents receive health care coverage through their employers – but that doesn’t mean they won’t feel an impact if congressional attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare succeed. They could lose coverage, face higher premiums or a loss of benefits, analysts say. Continue Reading →
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Democratic legislators are struggling to frame a budget deal that requires Malloy to compromise on taxes, liberals to accept structural changes in municipal aid and moderates to embrace a new labor concessions deal. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — House appropriators rejected many of President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to education, but trimmed some programs and eliminated others – including one that provides the state and local school districts with $25 million in teacher training grants each year. House appropriators also failed to adjust this year’s Pell grant awards for inflation, a move state officials say will cost Connecticut students $6 million in college financial aid next year. Continue Reading →
After facing a projected deficit of nearly $400 million three months ago, Connecticut may have ended the last fiscal year with a slight surplus, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration reported Thursday. Continue Reading →
Connecticut’s private sector appears to have completed its painfully slow recovery from the Great Recession of 2008, as the state added 7,100 private-sector jobs last month, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday. Unemployment, however, still rose a tenth of a point to 5 percent. Continue Reading →
The state’s largest healthcare workers’ union took some jabs Thursday at the top Republicans in the legislature, charging them in a new ad with shielding the rich while unionized workers offer huge concessions. Continue Reading →
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and tribal leaders signed documents Thursday amending Connecticut’s relationship with its two federally recognized tribes, another step toward allowing them to jointly develop a casino in the Hartford suburb of East Windsor, as authorized in legislation approved last month by the General Assembly. Continue Reading →
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget would cut funding for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, by about 25 percent over the next 10 years by lowering the income limit for eligibility. His plan also would transfer up to 25 percent of SNAP’s cost to the states. “There is no way the food banks can make up for cuts to SNAP,” said Sarah Santora, community involvement manager for Foodshare. Continue Reading →
One day after President Trump vowed to “let Obamacare fail,” a new study concluded Wednesday that the signature achievement of his predecessor delivered $1.16 billion in increased federal funding for health care in Connecticut and sharply lowered the number of uninsured residents and the cost of uncompensated care. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Federal auditors said Wednesday a Senate plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement would increase the number of uninsured by 17 million next year and by 32 million in 2026. Continue Reading →