Connecticut Lawmakers Express Concerns Over Access to Care for HUSKY Beneficiaries Because of Plan Switchover
More than a dozen Connecticut state lawmakers on Friday warned that thousands of HUSKY beneficiaries could struggle to get health care because of premature changes to the program that took effect on Sunday, the Hartford Courant reports. The difficulty is the result of the state ending its relationship with Anthem BlueCare, a long-time participant in HUSKY, after the company decided not to bid on new HUSKY contracts last year. In addition, the state is ending its traditional Medicaid program.
Beneficiaries in both plans were notified in December 2008 that they must choose one of three other plans. As of Friday, about 69,000 had yet to select one of the other plans offered. Beneficiaries who have not yet selected a new plan will be assigned to either AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthcare or Aetna Better Health. Those people who have yet to select one of the other plans are among the most vulnerable HUSKY beneficiaries, according to state lawmakers and advocates.
According to advocates, the other plan options do not include enough physicians, which could result in beneficiaries having difficulty receiving care. State Rep. Vickie Nardello (D) said, "HUSKY clients are at risk." She added that she and other lawmakers will be watching the HUSKY changes. State Rep. Barbara Lambert (D) said one state resident informed her that the resident's physician told her to put off a procedure for a precancerous condition because her HUSKY carrier would be changing.
Department of Social Services spokesperson David Dearborn said the number of physicians is increasing in each plan. He added that the federal government approved the transition after accounting for the size of the networks. Dearborn said that beneficiaries are being shifted into two of the plans because the third, Community Health Network of Connecticut, already has a "comparatively substantial" market share, with approximately 190,000 of the 337,000 HUSKY beneficiaries (Levin Becker, Hartford Courant, 1/30).
