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HealthCare For All Gretchen Vivier, CT Citizen Action Group
~ (860) 947-2200 x304 ~ gvivier@ccag.net
Background on the meeting: The Medicaid Managed Care Council is hosting a Legislative Briefing on Medicaid Waivers with representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The briefing will be November 19th from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Legislative Office Building . The meeting is open to the public. The Council is collecting questions and concerns from the public to submit to CMS and legislators for discussion at the meeting. Send your questions by Nov. 5th to Mariette.McCourt@po.state.ct.us . Why submit questions: Our goal is to illustrate how the Administration is trying to use the waiver process to limit rather than expand access to healthcare. We need to ask very pointed questions. A flood of questions/concerns would be a great demonstration that this is not a few of the "usual suspects" (meaning those of us who always criticize DSS) but a broader concern. There is value in Sen. Harp being able to say that she got hundreds of questions and concerns. Background on the issue -- The latest budget agreement directs DSS to dramatically cut back on HUSKY A (Medicaid benefits) and impose new premiums and co-payments on low-income families and premiums which will seriously impact disabled and elderly recipients . To implement this unprecedented program change, the state needs the federal government's permission -- through approval of a waiver from CMS. For more detail on the waivers and proposed changes, go to the Medicaid Managed Care Council's website, http://www.cga.state.ct.us/ph/medicaid/. Click on HUSKY A and B - program changes on the left column (scroll down). Also see http://www.childrenshealthcouncil.org/news/budget/HUSKYcuts.pdf. Thanks to Ellen Andrews, Carolyn Triess and Michael Sullivan for the above. Gretchen Vivier, Director
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