Creative Commons License

Adriana Falcón Trafford took out a long-term care insurance policy in 2001. When she signed up for the plan, the annual premium was $2,608. Now, it’s close to $7,000. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

The Connecticut Mirror has been awarded by the Association of Health Care Journalists for “Priced Out,” an investigation into long-term care insurance rate hikes that have affected nearly 100,000 policyholders in Connecticut.

Reporters Jenna Carlesso, Dave Altimari, Katy Golvala and Andrew Brown won first place in the national association’s Awards for Excellence in Heath Care Journalism Health Policy (Small Division) category. Judges said the story “wove together the best elements of investigative journalism.”

CT Mirror’s story explored the costs of maintaining long-term care insurance policies, which are skyrocketing due to miscalculations by insurers on how long people would live, the price of care and how many would need it. Policyholders’ rate increases have often exceeded 50% and, for a few dozen people, got as high as 174%, CT Mirror found.

Following the reporting, Connecticut lawmakers raised at least 16 proposals during the 2025 legislative session to reform long-term care insurance, though none received final passage. This year, the legislature’s Human Services Committee voted to advance a bill that would impose consumer protections for long-term care insurance policyholders, boost financial disclosure requirements for insurers and allow the state attorney general to investigate carriers.

“Long-term care insurance seemed like a great idea, until it wasn’t, including in the state considered the nation’s insurance capital. The analysis that showed some policyholders have been confronted with rate hikes of 174% was eye-popping, as was the revelation that Genworth Financial ties executive compensation to success in extracting rate hikes from policyholders,” judges wrote. “The impact the stories have had, with new consumer protections under active debate in the state legislature, says it all.”

“We are honored to have our work on this vitally important area of health care policy recognized by an organization that understands the impact high insurance rates can have on people at a vulnerable time of their lives,” said Elizabeth Hamilton, executive editor of CT Mirror.

This is the third time CT Mirror has been awarded for Priced Out. The investigation also received the National Press Foundation’s 2025 AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on Aging and the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting.

The AHCJ’s 2025 contest drew 396 entries in 16 categories, judged by more than 100 volunteers. Awards will be presented during the Health Journalism 2026 awards luncheon on May 30 in Minneapolis.

As manager of audience engagement, Gabby is responsible for CT Mirror’s digital growth. She manages our website, newsletters, search engine optimization, CT Mirror Explains product, on-site marketing, social media channels and internal data analysis. Gabby previously worked as a reporter on Patch.com’s Connecticut team and as an associate editor at The Woonsocket Call in Rhode Island. She is a Connecticut native who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UConn and is pursuing a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.