New in the Book Club

Silence Kills: Speaking Out and Saving Lives (Edited by Lee Gutkind, 2007) is a collection of essays describing real life stories from providers and victims about their experiences with medical errors. Providers’ descriptions of pain, guilt, shame, and fear for their future are compelling. Victims’ stories include indifferent and careless providers and a stupid system that leaves them with few options to get the care they need. The heroes in these stories are eager to confront their errors, system design failures, and to embrace shared problem solving with other providers, with patients and with families.
Ellen Andrews

House passes historic health reform bill

Late Saturday evening, the US House of Representatives passed HR-3962, the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act, by a margin of 220 to 215. If passed into law, the bill would provide affordable, comprehensive health coverage for nearly all CT residents. The measure requires both consumers and employers to purchase coverage, includes subsidies for low income consumers and small businesses, a decent public optional plan for consumers to choose (or not), closes the Medicare prescription drug coverage doughnut hole, a large increase in Medicaid eligibility regardless of family circumstances, important insurance market reforms including prohibition of coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, creation of a health insurance exchange to help consumers choose coverage that works for them, and initiatives to moderate rising health costs, manage chronic disease, create patient-centered medical homes, and support prevention and wellness. The bill is the most important health legislation to pass since Medicare and Medicaid were created in 1965. All of CT’s five House members voted in favor of HR-3962. The reform battle now moves to the Senate with far weaker proposals pending.
Ellen Andrews

PCCM/HUSKY Primary Care Forum

To answer questions as PCCM, now known as HUSKY Primary Care, is rolling out in New Haven and Hartford by January 1st, advocates are holding a forum Thursday November 19th at 6pm. It will be at our offices in the Red Cross Building – 703 Whitney Avenue in New Haven. The forum is sponsored by the CT Health Policy Project and New Haven Legal Assistance. For more information call (203) 772-2817 or email information@cthealthpolicy.org.

CT Health Care Advocate’s Office has saved consumers $2.7 million so far this year

The Office of Health Care Advocate's latest update reports saving state consumers $2.7 million in denied health care claims and services through September of this year, including $700,000 in the third quarter alone. Last year the office saved consumers over $5.2 million and are predicting an increase of over 50% in the number of cases for this year. Consumers having trouble accessing health care can call the office for assistance toll-free at 1-866-466-4446.
Ellen Andrews

November CT health policy quiz

Test your knowledge of the CT health system's performance. Take the November CT Health Policy Project web quiz.

Another reason to be an advocate – you’ll be happier

A researcher has found that people who are politically active are happier than disengaged citizens who can’t name the Vice-President. Protesters are more optimistic and socially connected. And there is some evidence that it isn’t just an association; that getting people to think like activists makes score higher on “vitality.” Aristotle apparently stated the same thing, although it’s not likely he did a controlled experiment. Personally, I think at a certain point there are diminishing returns.

Ellen Andrews

Behavioral Health Partnership forums

The CT Behavioral Health Partnership, family advocacy organizations and the Community Collaborative are sponsoring three forums about Enhanced Care Clinics (ECCs). The Partnership is CT’s non-risk program providing coordinated mental health and substance abuse services to HUSKY members. ECCs are behavioral health providers that offer timely urgent and routine care as well as coordination of services and are culturally competent. The forums will be:

Nov. 4 from 9 to 11:30am in Enfield at the St. Francis Care Building, 7 Elm Street
Nov. 4 from 11:30am to 1pm in Danbury at the Tarrywile Park & Mansion, 70 Southern Blvd.
Nov. 16 from 11am to 1pm in Hartford at the Village for Families & Children

For more information call (860) 263-2172 or (877) 552-8247 or email ctbhp@valueoptions.com