Conventional wisdom says nobody leaves a legislative session completely happy, certainly not when a gargantuan deficit hangs over the proceedings. But when those of us who advocate for kids in the juvenile justice system left the Capitol, we felt… well, victorious. Many measures to improve the system passed and are expected to be signed into […]

A controversial proposal to ease the requirements for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit died in the Senate Wednesday after a lengthy debate. Lawmakers stopped discussion of the bill without voting and did not take action before the session’s midnight deadline. The bill, which passed the House last month, was intended to correct what supporters said […]

A controversial bill requiring public hearings when insurers seek to raise health insurance premiums by more than 10 percent passed the Senate unanimously Monday after being revised significantly. But Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi still sees it as an “unnecessary mandate,” his spokeswoman said. “We just don’t think the legislation is necessary,” Connecticut Insurance Department […]

Doctors who diagnose a patient with chlamydia or gonorrhea would be allowed to prescribe antibiotics to the patient’s partners without examining them, under a bill the House passed Monday. The measure was included in a bill that makes a wide range of changes to public health statutes, including allowing Connecticut licensing boards to discipline a […]

A compromise bill on the proposed SustiNet state-run insurance plan passed the Senate 22 to 14 Monday, clearing the way for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s signature. SustiNet supporters cheered and hugged in the hall outside the Senate chamber after the vote, despite warnings from Republicans that the bill did not resemble the universal health care […]

The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a bill that gives the attorney general and healthcare advocate authority to have the insurance commissioner call public “symposiums” on proposals to increase rates on health insurance policies by more than 10 percent. They could also require the insurance commissioner to call hearings on proposals to raise long-term care […]

State Representatives have voted to establish a quasi-public agency to launch and run a health insurance exchance that will play a key role in expanding coverage under the federal health reform law. The exchange will have a wide range of responsibilities. It will offer a choice of health plans–all or most are expected to be […]

The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would require hospitals to get state approval before eliminating inpatient or outpatient services. The bill, which passed 93 to 53 and now goes to the Senate, was inspired by the closure of the birthing center at Rockville General Hospital last year. Until last year, hospitals seeking to […]

Gov. Dannel Malloy campaigned on a pledge to make government smarter and more efficient, and he is generally making good on that promise.   One area where he can demonstrate this is in the streamlining of access to prescription medications under Medicaid and other state medical assistance programs. There are about 525,000 state residents who receive […]

Efforts to change Medicare have sparked a backlash, and a new poll indicates that many Americans also oppose changes to Medicaid, the entitlement program for the poor and disabled. The opposition to cutting Medicaid spending or significantly changing the program could stem in part from the program’s widespread reach, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, […]