Jim Wadleigh, who joined the state’s health insurance exchange as chief information officer in 2012, has been leading quasi-public agency on an interim basis since September.
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
Special CT Obamacare enrollment period? Stay tuned
People who didn’t have insurance last year – and didn’t have a valid excuse – will have to pay a fee when they file their taxes. That might prompt them to want to get coverage this year. Because the sign-up period ended Sunday, some are urging health insurance exchanges to hold special enrollment periods.
Posted inHealth
Medicaid clients, seniors, health care providers face cuts under governor’s plan
About 34,000 parents would lose Medicaid coverage. Seniors would have to pay more for home care. The state would abandon a plan to better coordinate care for the costliest Medicaid clients and most health care providers that treat Medicaid patients would face a pay cut. It is all part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s aim to save hundreds of millions of dollars through cuts to health care and social service programs.
Posted inHealth
Medicaid rate holdup costs mental health providers
Mental health and substance abuse treatment providers are losing out on more than $5 million budgeted for them this year because the state hasn’t yet received federal approval to spend the money. That’s led some who oversee the public mental health coverage system to warn of dire consequences, including reduced access to services.
Posted inHealth
6 health care things to watch for in Malloy’s budget proposal
Many people who work in or advocate for health care and social services are bracing for a tough year, even as some make pitches for increased funding. Here are six things to watch for.
Posted inHealth
Rehmer stepping down as mental health commissioner
Commissioner Patricia Rehmer was recently reappointed to lead the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services but now plans to leave state government for a “new opportunity,” a source said.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Sandy Hook panel: Further tighten gun laws, improve mental health care
The commission Gov. Dannel P. Malloy created after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School will consider a draft report Friday recommending a further tightening of Connecticut’s gun laws, a prospect unlikely to find support in the General Assembly. The draft also describes a need for better integrating mental and physical health care and for reducing the stigma that many people with mental illness face.
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5 things to know about Medicaid spending in CT
There are many reasons why everyone in Connecticut should care about Medicaid, the health care program that covers one in five state residents and represents one of the largest chunks of state spending. Here are five things to know.
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Advocates: Medicaid’s autism coverage plan would keep kids from services
Advocates say the state’s proposed regulations for autism treatment coverage contain so many potential barriers that many children would be unlikely to get services, face major delays in treatment or struggle to find a provider who could meet the requirements.
Posted inHealth
As Obamacare sign-up period winds down, a final push for the uninsured
Sunday is the last day to buy private health insurance this year, and those trying to reach the uninsured are making calls, sending mail and visiting libraries, grocery stores, tax clinics, churches, big-box stores and bus stops in a final enrollment push.
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Anthem warns customers about scam emails related to data breach
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is warning Connecticut residents to be aware of scam emails targeting current and former customers of the insurer, which was targeted by hackers who gained access to millions of customer records.
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Anthem says hackers stole customers’ personal information
Updated 4:30 p.m.
Hackers targeting health insurer Anthem gained access to personal information on tens of millions of current and former customers and employees across the country, including Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Posted inHealth
Six things to know about Obamacare and taxes
The federal health law created some significant changes for tax filers, particularly those who didn’t have health insurance or who bought health plans through public health insurance exchanges like Connecticut’s Access Health CT. Here are a few things to know.
Posted inHealth
Tenet, Malloy give up talks on reviving hospital acquisitions
Tenet Healthcare and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Wednesday that they are ending discussions about the Texas company’s acquiring Connecticut hospitals.
Posted inHealth
A Super Bowl ad pushes for talk about domestic violence and sexual assault
Chances are most people watching the Super Bowl – and the ad about domestic violence that ran during the game – know someone who experienced domestic violence or sexual assault. But they might not be aware of it. “Despite the vast numbers impacted by these crimes, people are not talking about them,” said Virginia Witt, director of the campaign behind the ad. So what will change that?