SustiNet final report off to General Assembly

The SustiNet task force has sent their recommendations to the legislature. Recomendations include payment and delivery system reforms, including patient centered medical homes, and taking advantage of a federal reform opportunity to extend Medicaid eligibility to twice the poverty level for adults – saving money for CT consumers and for the state. The plan includes a stepped implantation schedule for a public insurance option beginning by combining the state employee and Medicaid programs into one large purchasing pool – however each plan will retain its own benefit package, provider panels, and payment rates – most members will not notice any change. The larger pool will be able to use its size to leverage improvements in quality of care and conserve precious resources. Next, SustiNet will be offered to municipalities, nonprofits and small businesses. In 2014, SustiNet will be opened as an option, both inside and outside the new state insurance exchange, to consumers – just as residents of our state and all Americans will be required to secure coverage under national health reform. SustiNet will be voluntary for individuals and one of many options available to consumers. Now the recommendations go over to the sausage factory hopefully for passage into law. Then the even harder work of implementation begins.
Ellen Andrews