The House debated a controversial measure that would allow nurse practitioners to practice independent of doctors. See how it happened.
CTMirror Contributor
Posted inHealth
CT Mission of Mercy, in Hartford, draws hundreds for free dental care
Roger Green left home at 3:50 a.m., drove 70 miles to Hartford and spent more than three hours in line for a chance at getting free dental care. He hoped by the end of the day he’d no longer be ashamed to smile.
Posted inHealth
House passes bill granting immunity for administering drug that stops heroin OD
Legislators spoke of the toll that addiction to heroin and other opiates has taken in Connecticut and described the proposal as a needed tool that could save lives by making people more willing to help someone experiencing an overdose.
Posted inHealth
The Basics: CT’s effort to notify patients of added medical fees
The state House Wednesday passed a bill aimed at making sure patients know about “facility fees,” extra charges they could face if they get outpatient care at medical offices owned by hospitals.
Posted inEducation, Health
Feds: CT needs more day care inspectors, more frequent inspections
Federal reviewers visited state-inspected day care centers and found violations including a fuse box accessible to children; a first-aid kit, shaving cream and hair gel within reach of children; and exposed wiring in a gazebo used by youngsters. In one case, federal reviewers visited a day care center that had been inspected the month before, but still uncovered 11 potentially hazardous conditions and five playground safety problems.
Posted inHealth
CT Obamacare exchange lags in attracting small businesses
Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, drew national praise for its performance in enrolling more than 208,000 individuals in health care coverage. But the small business side of Connecticut’s exchange hasn’t done so well. As of April 8, it covered a total of 330 people.
Posted inHealth
The Basics: CT’s effort to expand patients’ end-of-life care options
The Senate moved forward a proposal Thursday that people who work in emergency medicine say could address shortcomings in the options people with terminal illnesses currently have for making their wishes known.
Posted inHealth
Obamacare exchange’s final tally: 208,301 people signed up
The final numbers are in: Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, signed up 208,301 Connecticut residents in health care coverage.
Posted inHealth
DSS call center wait times drop, but two-thirds of callers still hanging up
Callers who wanted to talk to a Department of Social Services worker by phone last month had to wait an average of 39 minutes and 29 seconds to do so. That’s down from one hour and 13 minutes in February. Social service officials say that’s progress, but client advocates say another figure gives more cause for concern.
Posted inHealth
Proposed settlement reached in DSS Medicaid application delay lawsuit
The Department of Social Services is seeking approval to hire dozens of additional workers to comply with a proposed settlement to a class action lawsuit alleging that delays in processing Medicaid applications have left poor state residents waiting months to get coverage and care.
Posted inPolitics
GOP gubernatorial candidates debate guns, taxes, corruption and TV shows
The five Republican candidates for governor who faced off in a debate Friday signed a pledge to treat each other with respect, and they did: The jabs were reserved for the man each hopes to replace, first-term Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Posted inHealth
Senate votes to allow nurse practitioners to practice independent of doctors
The Connecticut state Senate voted 25 to 11 late Wednesday night to allow nurse practitioners to practice independent of physicians, a controversial concept that has gained traction amid growing concerns about the availability of primary care providers in the state.
Posted inHealth
CT scales back Medicaid repayment rules for some recipients
Connecticut officials are scaling back the circumstances in which the state can seek repayment from the estates of Medicaid recipients when they die. This addresses what some say is a barrier to getting Medicaid-eligible people to sign up for the program under Obamacare.
Posted inHealth
Feds release massive Medicare doctor payment database
The federal government has released a massive trove of Medicare data, making available for the first time information about what payments individual doctors received for specific services covered by Medicare in 2012.
Posted inHealth
CT hospitals follow aviation, nuclear power in targeting errors
It was a big deal at John Dempsey Hospital when a housekeeper stopped a doctor from entering a room where a procedure was taking place. The celebration that followed was part of a broader effort to improve patient safety, modeled after strategies used in aviation, nuclear power and other industries where even small mistakes can have dire consequences.