Across the Country in ACA World - Sept No. 2

1. Why People Remain Uninsured is a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.  “Although the ACA has greatly expanded health insurance coverage in the U.S., some 30.4 million people are still uninsured. The Commonwealth Fund finds they are disproportionately lower income, Latino, and under age 35. The authors say the cost of insurance is a key reason why so many remain without coverage.”  The report also shows that nearly half of uninsured adults may be eligible for subsidies through the marketplace or their state’s expanded Medicaid program; Northeastern states outperform the rest of the country; and men are more likely to be uninsured than women. (See also separate map of CT's uninsured on policymap.com)
   
   
2. CT Dept of Insurance Sept 4 hearing on rate requests:  "Anthem asked for an average increase of 15.2% on individual health plans, mostly because of a 9.3% increase in medical cost trends and the reinstatement of the federally mandated health insurer tax.  Anthem served approximately 21,900 members in Connecticut last year. ConnectiCare, which serves about 75,600 consumers, proposed an average 4.9% increase in its rates. It also attributed the increase to a 9.3% increase in medical cost trends."  Stories at
     - Hartford Courant:  Connecticut health insurers defend higher rates for 2020 as consumer advocates urge state regulators to slow steadily rising costs
     - CT Mirror:  Customers, lawmakers urge state insurance officials to address rising costs
     - CT News Junkie:  Consumers Insist On Health Insurance Affordability at DOI rate hearing.
   
   
3. Health disparities in CT:  Blacks and poor people are at higher risk of heart disease, even though the overall death rate from heart disease is falling.   Despite decreases in deaths from heart disease in CT and across the country, African Americans and low-income individuals in Connecticut remain at a higher risk for obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, all chronic illnesses connected to heart disease, according to the 2017 Connecticut Cardiovascular Disease Statistics Report by the state Department of Public Health.
   
   
4. Sept 17 Conference on the Future for Community Health Workers in CT - Hear firsthand from community health workers about their experience and the benefits of certification, and the Department of Public Health will also dive into the certification process specifically for CT.
   
   
5. MNsure announced it is extending open enrollment by a week, until Dec. 23, for 2020 coverage.
   
6. Colorado is implementing a reinsurance program in 2020 and a public option program in 2021.
   
7. Maine is moving to a state based marketplace using the federal IT platform as a stepping stone to a fully state-based exchange.