Latest news with #UConnHealth
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
UConn Health, ConnectiCare have reached multi-year agreement
FARMINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — UConn Health announced Friday it has reached a multi-year agreement with ConnectiCare after its contract with the insurance provider expired in April. A statement from UConn Health said that the agreement will ensure that UConn Health stays as an in-network provided for patients with ConnectiCare health plans, and patient care should continue without interruption. UConn Health drops insurance contract with ConnectiCare 'This new multi-year agreement reached during the post-termination 60-day period, means that patients with ConnectiCare plans can continue to receive care at John Dempsey Hospital, UConn Medical Group, and throughout UConn Health without any disruption,' the statement said. 'Patients with ConnectiCare plans are now able to schedule appointments and access the full range of services they rely on.' UConn Health said it has started reaching out to affected patients to inform them of the update and provide resources. Patients with questions are asked to visit or contact the patient support team at (860) 679-0199. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Medscape
16-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Why Aren't More PCPs Ordering Allergen Tests?
Few primary care providers (PCPs) are testing patients with asthma who have suspected allergen triggers, which may delay treatment that could improve outcomes, new data suggested. Mridula Sree Naagendran, MBBS, internal medicine resident at UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut, presented the information in a poster at the Society of General Internal Medicine 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Florida. 'The absence of PCP-initiated allergen testing represents a critical missed opportunity for early identification and management of asthma triggers,' the authors wrote. 'As outlined in the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, prompt allergen identification could reduce exposure to known triggers and potentially prevent exacerbations.' Tests Relatively Inexpensive Testing may also lower healthcare costs, the authors noted. Given that allergen testing is relatively inexpensive ($200-$300) compared with the cost of asthma-related hospitalizations (upwards of $9000), implementing routine allergen testing in PCP offices for high-risk patients with asthma could significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce costs not only of hospitalizations but unnecessary medications and emergency department visits. Blood inhalant allergy testing is 'already available and can be seamlessly embedded into routine clinical practice,' Naagendran told Medscape Medical News . The researchers conducted a retrospective review of 151 patients with asthma treated at a medically underserved primary care clinic. Data collected included allergen testing rates, hospitalization rates for asthma flares, allergen sensitization profiles, referral patterns, and treatment delays. None of the Testing Was Initiated by PCPs They found that among 151 patients with asthma, only 15 (9.93%) underwent blood inhalant allergen testing. For these 15 patients, none of the testing was initiated by PCPs. Pulmonology referrals occurred for 53 (35.1%) of patients with asthma, and only three of those were referred to an allergist. Sensitization was found to common allergens: Dog dander (26.7%), cat dander (20%), dust mites (20%), oak pollen (13.3%), and cockroach (6.7%). There were 15 asthma-related hospitalizations over 2 years. 'The gap we identified is not necessarily in knowledge, but in awareness and workflow integration,' Naagendran said. 'Environmental or indoor allergen triggers are not often addressed in primary care settings, not because they are unimportant but because they are not part of a standardized process. By remembering risk factor screening and targeted blood IgE [immunoglobulin E] testing in routine asthma evaluations, we can shift from reactive care to proactive management.' Doctor Says Information Will Change His Practice Michael Antolini, DO, family medicine physician in Fayetteville, West Virginia, said the information presented will change practice for him. He told Medscape Medical News that he works in a federally qualified health center, and because there's an allergist in their provider community, the tests are ordered by the allergist. But he said this study has him wondering why he hasn't been ordering the tests himself. He said he took a straw poll in his practice and none of the PCPs were ordering the tests. He checked and found out they were readily available and could be ordered within seconds and results would take only 3-5 days. Additionally, the tests are typically well-covered by insurance, he said. He said he doesn't see the change resulting in more time for physicians. 'We're already having discussions on environmental triggers of asthma anyway. This would probably be a better utilization of time if we could get some answers on what, specifically, they should stay away from. I would make the time if I'm preventing a hospitalization.' Currently, in his practice, the patients are getting the tests, 'but we're waiting until the allergist does it,' he said. 'This is easy stuff we could be doing. Some people can't afford to go to the allergist, frankly, so it puts the tool in our hands. I can provide whole-person counseling on what things patients should avoid.' The results of the test, he noted, don't necessarily provide a cause-and-effect relationship with potential false-positive results that are not really related to a patient's asthma, but he added it's always a good idea to avoid possible triggers. 'This could help me in my practice by providing the care that some folks who are underserved need,' he said. Naagendran and Antolini reported no relevant financial relationships.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
In billboard campaign, CT health system pressures insurer. What it means for patients.
You may have seen the deluge of billboards. Farmington-based UConn Health is ramping up the pressure in its contract negotiations with ConnectiCare, taking out billboards at nearly a dozen prominent locations along highways in the Hartford area, urging the insurer to agree to higher reimbursement rates for services. The billboards — along I-84 and I-91 — proclaim: 'UConn Health needs ConnectiCare to step up.' 'We're using ConnectiCare as a test case for what is coming down the line next,' Jennifer Walker, a UConn Health spokeswoman, said. 'Every other [insurer] is coming up after this. And it's going to go the same way. We letting them know that we are going to put the public pressure on it to stand up for ourselves.' UConn Health argues its reimbursement rate is the lowest, behind all hospitals in Connecticut, despite revenue growth in the last decade and rankings that place it in the top tier of hospitals nationwide. At the same time, medical costs are rising, and Gov. Ned Lamont wants the health system — an arm of the University of Connecticut — to be more financially self-sufficient. ConnectiCare's contract with UConn Health — the parent of John Dempsey Hospital, a network of clinics and more than 600 providers — expired on April 15. The two sides are now in a 60-day 'cooling off' period — ending June 14 —in which the two sides continue to negotiate. On Thursday, UConn Health sent letters to ConnectiCare patients scheduled for appointments after June 14, who will either have their appointments canceled or go 'out-of-network', which can mean higher out-of-pocket costs than 'in-network.' Federal caps on out-of-pocket costs also may not apply to care that is out-of-network. The contract negotiations cover ConnectiCare's commercial coverage, which includes employer-sponsored plans, and Medicare Advantage plans, which are sold by private insurers and offer Medicare coverage plus additional benefits. UConn Health has about 9,000 ConnectiCare patients that are affected, Walker said. Consumers who find themselves out-of-network may be forced to find new health care providers that are in-network. UConn Health said there can be exceptions for 'continuing care' such as chemotherapy treatments that remain in-network even in the absence of a contract. UConn Health also said it has tried to reschedule some appointments so they fall before the June 14 deadline, Walker said. ConnectiCare, headquartered in Farmington, was acquired by California-based Molina Healthcare on Feb. 4. ConnectiCare did not respond to an email seeking comment. UConn Health also oversees the university's medical and dental schools, plus its medical research. In the current fiscal year, UConn Health received about $193 million in state funding, or 12.5% of its total budget, UConn Health officials have said. A six-month study last year of UConn Health's operations by a high-profile health care consulting firm found that UConn needed to generate more money from patient care in order to compete in the health care world of the future. 'We have the governor saying you can't depend on us anymore, you have to make your own money,' Walker said. 'And this is a way to close the gap on this, and not putting the burden n the taxpayers of Connecticut, making sure we are being paid as fairly as everyone else.' Reporting by Courant Staff Writer Christopher Keating is included. Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CT health system's contract with insurer has expired. What patients need to know about their coverage.
Farmington-based UConn Health's contract with insurer ConnectiCare expired Tuesday with the two sides still at odds in negotiations over a new agreement, raising the possibility that patients covered by the health insurer could lose their 'in-network' status with the health system's hospital, clinics and doctors. The negotiations between UConn Health — the parent of John Dempsey Hospital, a network of clinics and more than 600 providers — and ConnectiCare are focused on the reimbursement rate for services. UConn Health said its rate is the lowest, behind all hospitals in Connecticut, despite revenue growth in the last decade and rankings that place it in the top tier of hospitals nationwide. 'It's important that we receive fair compensation for the amazing services we provide,' Dr. Andrew Agwunobi , UConn Health chief executive said, in an interview. 'Our situation is that the payment is so low, it's unfair to providers, patients and taxpayers in Connecticut.' The contract negotiations cover ConnectiCare's commercial coverage, which includes employer-sponsored plans, and Medicare Advantage plans, which are sold by private insurers and offer Medicare coverage plus additional benefits. Even though the current contract has expired, the two sides are now entering a 60-day 'cooling off' period that concludes June 14 in which patients with ConnectiCare coverage with remain in-network. Contract negotiations will continue with the goal of reaching an acceptable agreement with ConnectiCare, Agwunobi said. In a letter to The Courant, Farmington resident Felicia DeDominicus wrote that she was distressed about the potential end of coverage because her parents, who are 87 and 89, receive nearly all their medical care through the health center. 'My parents' [UConn Health] providers truly care about them, and we feel that caring,' DeDominicus wrote. 'We all trust these compassionate doctors at this vulnerable time in my parents' lives.' DeDominicus urged all patients of the health center to voice their concerns about the possible loss of coverage, noting that losing coverage at the hospital would be devastating to her family. 'ConnectiCare should pay UConn Health fairly for the world-class doctors and the care that they provide,' DeDominicus wrote. If a patient is forced out-of-network, the implications could be far-reaching. According to depending on the health plan 'expenses incurred for services provided by out-of-network health professionals may not be covered at all unless it's an emergency. Or they may be covered but with higher out-of-pocket costs than the member would pay for same care received from an in-network provider.' In addition, 'the federal cap on out-of-pocket costs only applies to in-network care (and only care that's considered an essential health benefit). So out-of-pocket costs for covered out-of-network care can be much higher, or even unlimited. And, it's important to understand that out-of-network providers can and do balance bill patients for the remainder of the charges after the insurance company has paid its share.' Consumers who find themselves out-of-network may be forced to find new health care providers that are in-network. UConn Health said there can be exceptions for 'continuing care' such as chemotherapy treatments that remain in-network even in the absence of a contract. ConnectiCare, headquartered in Farmington, was acquired by California-based Molina Healthcare on Feb. 4. Both ConnectiCare and Molina did not respond to emails Tuesday seeking comment. UConn Health — an arm of the University of Connecticut — also oversees the university's medical and dental schools, plus its medical research. In the current fiscal year, UConn Health received about $193 million in state funding, or 12.5% of its total budget, Agwunobi said. A standoff between hospitals and health insurers is not unusual in negotiations. In December, for instance, Trinity Health of New England reached an 11th-hour contract agreement with Aetna, owned by CVS Health Corp., to continue in-network coverage. Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@
