Gov. Dannel P. Malloy presented legislators Thursday with almost $350 million in budget-cutting options that would fall heavily on social services, education and municipal aid, according to documents obtained by The Mirror. Meanwhile, leaders of the legislature’s Republican minority offered an array of spending cuts and new restrictions on state employees’ wages and benefits, all of which presumably would require negotiations with labor unions.
Health
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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Post-Newtown program helps children get mental health care
Addressing mental health issues has become an increasingly large part of pediatric practice, but few pediatricians said they could meet their patients’ behavioral health needs or easily access a psychiatrist to help. A program created in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting aims to change that by funding teams of psychiatrists to consult with pediatricians. It was used more than 5,000 times in its first year.
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Study: Black women twice as likely to be re-hospitalized after childbirth
Black women in Connecticut were twice as likely as white women to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of childbirth, and Hispanic women were nearly 50 percent more likely than whites to be readmitted, according to a study published this month in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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VIDEO: Putting the science on childhood trauma into practice
Four experts discuss the still-significant gaps between what research on childhood trauma and other experiences shows and what is done to translate that into practice to improve future mental and physical health.
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AG: Hartford Hospital, contractor to pay $90,000 in 2012 data theft
Hartford Hospital and one of its contractors have agreed to pay the state $90,000 and undertake training and security measures to resolve an investigation into the theft of a laptop containing unencrypted patient information in June 2012, according to Attorney General George Jepsen’s office.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT not immune to big food poisoning cases
WASHINGTON – While the most recent big incident of food poisoning involves Chipotle Mexican Grill in Oregon and Washington state, Connecticut has not been spared from multi-state cases of food contamination, and federal officials say the threat of big food outbreaks is on the rise.
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Obamacare signups begin with different outreach strategy
Janet Carlson and her team are preparing for a third round of outreach to help the uninsured get health care coverage in Litchfield County, and she’s anticipating more people who need significant assistance this time around. She’ll also be something of an anomaly, one of just a handful of people formally charged with finding and signing up the uninsured.
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Senate tackles mental health care reform
WASHINGTON — A Senate panel took up the issue of mental health care Thursday, discussing legislation promoted by Sen. Chris Murphy to overhaul the system, an unusual move since Congress hasn’t tackled comprehensive reform in decades.
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Obamacare Q&A: Signups start next week
Sunday marks the start of the third open enrollment period for health insurance under the federal health law. That means the nearly 170,000 Connecticut residents who buy their own health insurance will have a chance to shop for new plans — and many will need to take action to keep the coverage they have. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Bipartisan budget talks place pressure on GOP to find solutions
The most vocal critics of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s handling of the state finances, Republican legislative leaders, will find things harder this month as they shift from commenting on the deficit-plagued budget to balancing it. Sen. Len Fasano and Rep. Themis Klarides will find it particularly difficult to both oppose tax hikes and shield hospitals and social services from cuts if the leaders try to stabilize finances long-term.
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As health care changes, can independent hospitals survive?
As large hospital systems have grown in Connecticut, the state now has just seven hospitals that are not part of a bigger system or in talks to join one. Are the remaining independents holding out for the right suitor? Or do they see a path forward as independent hospitals at a time when more hospital leaders are taking the opposite view?
Posted inHealth, Politics
Clinton has ‘serious concerns’ about Aetna-Humana, Anthem-Cigna deals
WASHINGTON — Planned consolidations by some of the nation’s largest health insurers were propelled into the 2016 race for the White House Wednesday as Hillary Clinton said she has “serious concerns” about Aetna’s plan to acquire Humana and Anthem’s proposal to buy Cigna.
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Language barriers compound disease, trauma for Southeast Asian refugees
Many of those who came to Connecticut as refugees from Southeast Asia in the 1970s and 80s live with multiple chronic medical conditions, depression and post-traumatic stress. But often, they get medical care without access to trained interpreters to help bridge language barriers that can make it difficult to communicate their symptoms, understand how to handle medication, or build the trust needed to address the effects of trauma.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Malloy calls for bipartisan talks as budget hole deepens
Declaring that weak income tax receipts opened the second major state budget deficit in two months, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took a new approach Monday, calling for bipartisan negotiations to cut spending, stabilize state financing and address the deeper question of how much government Connecticut can afford.
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Mental health funding tradeoff draws criticism, praise
To avoid cutting $4.7 million from mental health and substance abuse treatment, the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services is delaying new programs, including funding for a care coordination program intended to help patients who frequently end up in the emergency room.