The health overhaul bill passed by the House earlier this month accomplishes one major feat: It is even less popular than the not-very-popular Affordable Care Act it would largely replace, a new poll finds.
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Stories about health care access and affordability in CT, as well as abortion, COVID, health equity and disparities, health systems and social determinants of health.
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Posted inHealth, Politics
Fertility preservation bill goes to governor’s desk
The Senate has given unanimous approval to a bill that would ensure fertility coverage for those facing chemotherapy or some other medically necessary treatment that threatens their ability to have children.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Malloy objects to mandate on coverage for pregnant women
A bipartisan Senate bill intended to protect women’s health coverage if requirements in the Affordable Care Act are repealed now faces a potential rewrite in the House or a veto by a Gov. Dannel P. Malloy eager to show that Connecticut is sensitive to the needs of its insurance industry.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal says EpiPen maker gouged CT, wants the money back
Washington – A year after it was embroiled in scandal for jacking up the price of EpiPen injectors of a life saving anti-allergy medicine, the company that makes them is accused of overcharging state and federal governments, too, by $1.27 billion. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants some of that money returned to Connecticut
Posted inHealth
Connecticut Senate takes out insurance against ACA’s repeal
The Connecticut Senate voted unanimously early Friday morning to essentially take out an insurance policy to protect women and children against the possibility President Donald Trump succeeds in repealing or significantly weakening the Affordable Care Act.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Malloy’s talks with Aetna were one-sided and futile
With flattery and an effort at common ground, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wrote to Aetna’s chairman, Mark Bertolini, in March, requesting a meeting about how to keep one of the nation’s largest health insurers in Hartford. Malloy acknowledged Wednesday he never got his meeting with Bertolini, just subordinates who never articulated what changes Aetna desired to see in the only corporate home since its founding in 1853.
Posted inHealth, Politics
With Obamacare at risk in CT, 73K could lose subsidies
WASHINGTON — Connecticut is among several states in danger of losing all of the insurers who participate in their Affordable Care Act exchanges – a move that would leave tens of thousands of state residents scrambling for coverage and ways to pay for it. Insurers say chaos in Washington, D.C., is to blame.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
Advocates: Disabled children stranded in CT hospital ERs
Insufficient services, a complex funding system and deep state budget cuts have increasingly stranded developmentally disabled children in hospital emergency departments over the past year, often for weeks at a time, two state advocates told legislators Thursday.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Malloy says senators ‘unnecessarily antagonistic’ to insurers
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy delivered a public rebuke Wednesday evening to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate, accusing them of misrepresenting his insurance commissioner’s position on a consumer-protection bill and taking an “unnecessarily antagonistic approach toward Connecticut’s insurance industry.”
Posted inHealth, Politics
CBO: GOP health bill’s impact on CT, other states would vary widely
WASHINGTON — An analysis of the likely impact of the final House GOP bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act says it would leave an additional 23 million uninsured by 2026 and reduce the federal deficit by $119 billion over the next decade.
Posted inHealth
Healthcare union ad protests ongoing state layoffs
The state’s largest healthcare workers’ union launched a new online ad Monday to protest the latest layoffs ordered by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Posted inHealth
UnitedHealth overbilled U.S. by $1 billion in Medicare claims, feds charge
The Justice Department has accused giant insurer UnitedHealth Group of overcharging the federal government by more than $1 billion through its Medicare Advantage plans.
Posted inHealth
Access Health extends insurers’ deadline to decide on 2018
“We are hoping this extra time will allow the carriers to resolve any issues about working in our exchange,” Access Health CEO Jim Wadleigh said.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Senate considers stripping states like CT of abortion coverage option
WASHINGTON — As Senate Republicans meet behind closed doors this week to craft their bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, one of the most contentious issues is how it will affect the abortion coverage millions of American women now have as part of their health insurance policies. The American Health Insurance Act approved by the House severely restricts this coverage.
Posted inEducation, Health, Money, Politics, Transportation
Democrats would slash municipal aid, allow casino, legalize pot
House and Senate Democrats Tuesday recommended opening a new casino, legalizing marijuana and imposing deep cuts to municipal aid and public colleges and universities to balance the next two-year state budget.