Comptroller Scanlon’s healthcare cabinet calls for higher provider reimbursements

Calling it an “experiment in civic engagement and political power,” state Comptroller Sean Scanlon on Wednesday released a report that seeks to address key healthcare issues in Connecticut, and it calls on policymakers to make changes, including increasing certain provider reimbursement rates.

Scanlon released the report during an event held in Alumni Hall in the student center at Central Connecticut State University. The event featured a keynote address by former Rhode Island Congressman and mental health advocate Patrick J. Kennedy. 

The 38-page “2024 Healthcare Cabinet Report” is the result of work done throughout last year by the cabinet, which was announced in April 2023.

The recommendations included:

• Providing additional support for people in underserved communities, including increased reimbursements for Medicaid and Medicare patients. 
• Closing the gap between Medicaid reimbursements and the cost of care at federally qualified health centers.
• Exploring alternative revenue streams, including reimbursement for community health workers to perform health risk assessments, and   
• Increasing Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance response in rural parts of Connecticut, where double transportation is often required.

Scanlon, a Democrat, said his office will work with advocates and the legislature to address the recommendations.

“The recommendations in this report are bold ideas, ones that I am confident will improve healthcare access and affordability in Connecticut,” he said.

The report notes that the state Comptroller’s office and Office of Health Strategy define affordable healthcare as whether “a family can reliably secure it to maintain good health and treat illnesses and injuries when they occur, without sacrificing the ability to meet all other basic needs … or without sinking into debilitating debt.”

Connecticut is among the top states for healthcare spending. According to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Connecticut ranks ninth in the nation for per-person healthcare spending, with an average annual cost of $12,500, compared to the national average of $10,000, the report states. 

Earlier this week, state Democratic lawmakers, concerned about the high cost of health care and “Trump-era” coverage proposals they say are bad for consumers, unveiled several legislative concepts aimed at making health coverage more affordable.

Health care will likely be a hot topic during the 2024 legislative session that begins next month. 

The Comptroller’s report is available online at osc.ct.gov/reports.