While much attention has been focused nationally on technological problems hampering the rollout of the federal health reform law, the head of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange said Wednesday that another issue is likely to become more prominent: Price.
CT exchange chief: Obamacare focus will turn to price, value
Federal hub crashes again, pulling down Access Health CT
Washington – For the second time since Sunday morning, the federal system that verifies identities and other personal information about Americans shopping for insurance on exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act has crashed. In a statement, Access Health CT, said it was informed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that the federal […]
UConn seeks to limit credits students can use from community colleges
Even as thousands of University of Connecticut students choose to take some of their courses at a community college or other universities, officials are proposing to limit the number of transfer credits students can use toward their degree.
Health care redesign plan focuses on primary care, doctor payments and reducing waste
A team of state officials and health care industry representatives are trying to redesign the way health care is paid for and delivered to the vast majority of Connecticut residents. According to a draft of their plan, their vision includes bolstering primary care practices to take on a larger role in patient care and offer […]
A new Connecticut loan program to mark Sandy’s anniversary
New London – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy marked the first anniversary of Superstorm Sandy by unveiling a not-quite-baked, low-interest loan program to help coastal property owners elevate their homes and waterproof their businesses in preparation for the next storm.
Connecticut health exchange ‘backup plan’ no help during national outage
Washington – A backup plan Connecticut’s health exchange developed to help insulate it from Washington’s problems in the rollout of Obamacare was no help at all Sunday, when the federal system that checks information from applicants went down, stalling most enrollments. “There are some things that still have to be worked through, some technical problems,” said […]
Journalist Brill: Health care prices are too high
North Haven — Journalist Steven Brill spent months researching the nation’s health care system for his widely read Time magazine article, “Bitter pill: Why medical bills are killing us.” His primary diagnosis: “All the prices are too high.” “And everybody — with the exception of doctors and nurses — hospital administrators, CT scan equipment salesmen, […]
Jepsen launches complaint form for patients charged facility fees
Attorney General George Jepsen is seeking information from patients who were charged “facility fees” by health care providers. Patients who were charged facility fees without receiving notice or weren’t told what the fees would cost can submit complaints using a form available through the attorney general’s office. The form is available by clicking here.
Con Ed, Metro-North duck blame
Updated: 12:53 p.m. Bridgeport — The presidents of Consolidated Edison and Metro-North took turns at a congressional field hearing Monday expressing regret and dodging blame for the power outage that disrupted the nation’s busiest rail corridor for 12 days, inconveniencing more than 100,000 commuters and costing the Connecticut economy an estimated $62 million. Craig Ivey, […]
A roster of $10,000 donors helps Malloy drive Democrats to 3-1 advantage
Emboldened by looser campaign-finance rules and a rainmaking governor, the Connecticut Democratic Party is raising money nearly three times faster for the 2014 election than it did four years ago in preparation for 2010. At the same time, Republican fundraising is stagnant.
HUD allocates another $65 million in Sandy aid for Connecticut
As the first anniversary of super storm Sandy’s run through Connecticut arrives Tuesday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Connecticut is eligible for $65 million more in block grants to help recovery from the devastating storm.
Obamacare exchange problem fixed, so customers can resume applications, Access Health says
A problem that stopped application activity in state health insurance exchanges Sunday has been resolved, according to Access Health CT, the state’s exchange. That means that people can apply for coverage made available as part of the health law commonly known as Obamacare.
Access Health: Outage in federal Obamacare data system stalls most CT enrollments
Connecticut residents trying to sign up for subsidized health care coverage through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, were unable to complete the process because of an outage involving the federal system used to verify applicant information, Access Health announced Sunday afternoon.
UConn, state employees’ union pact (redux), and a good idea from NY
Seven current or former UConn students this week said the university failed to protect them from sexual assault and, after learning about it, acted inappropriately or insufficiently. Celebrity civil rights attorney Gloria Allred is representing the women, who filed a Title IX complaint with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education.
CT lawmakers eye NY’s “Texting Zone” strategy for highway safety
Ever feel the urge to text while driving? If that happens in New York, look around. There’s probably a sign nearby showing where the next safe “Texting Zone” is located. New York officials have captured some of their Connecticut counterparts’ attention with their new campaign to stop cellphone use on highways. Earlier this fall the […]

