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Inside Connecticut prisons, people wait years for medical care, records show
Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Lisa Backus, and Annie Xia, The Hour, April 1
Incarcerated people in Connecticut prisons are left waiting extended periods of time for specialist care already deemed medically necessary. In one instance, a prisoner diagnosed with colon cancer has been waiting 34 months for a colonoscopy ordered by his doctor. As of January, the Department of Correction had over 2,600 specialty care appointments that have yet to be scheduled. DeVaughn Ward, the state’s prison ombudsman, said many incarcerated people believe they are on waitlists to receive health care, but when he checks, they are not. He said his office has found that there are people whose conditions have significantly worsened while waiting for care. At least one person has died while waiting.
CT’s potential fallout from federal Medicaid changes outlined in new report
Sujata Srinivasan, Connecticut Public Radio, April 7
Nearly 200,000 people in Connecticut could lose their Medicaid coverage under a worst-case projection analyzing changes that are set to take effect on January 1, 2027. The changes include work requirements for certain adults and tighter six-month eligibility redeterminations for coverage. States that have expanded Medicaid eligibility, like Connecticut, are expected to be hit particularly hard by enrollment declines. Researchers say the state can cut its loss of Medicaid participants in half by ensuring people are not wrongfully denied coverage or disenrolled. Even with efforts to mitigate coverage losses, millions of people across the country are still expected to lose Medicaid coverage as a result of the upcoming changes.
Health care advocates ask CT lawmakers to include immigrants in solutions to federal cuts
Daniela Doncel, Connecticut Public Radio, April 7
Hundreds of health care providers in Connecticut are asking lawmakers to ensure health care coverage solutions include all residents, even those without legal immigration status. Right now, state-run health care programs cover residents ages 15 and under, regardless of immigration status. But recent federal funding cuts put health care coverage at risk. Dr. Leonela Villegas, a pediatric nephrologist, said health care providers like her want lawmakers to continue safeguarding the supports currently in place. “Also to make sure that we’re including all of our community members, irrespective of their immigration status, in the solutions that they’re creating for these health coverage problems that we have right now,” she said.
In CT’s Black community, advocates combat organ donation myths
Reginald David and Katy Golvala, The Connecticut Mirror, April 2
In 2010, Jacqueline Glover was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs and lymph nodes. She was placed on the national transplant list, joining thousands of Black patients facing organ failure. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by conditions that can lead to organ failure. After receiving a double lung transplant, Glover now volunteers with New England Donor Services to educate communities, especially communities of color, about the life-saving power of organ donation. Historical mistrust of the medical system makes these conversations particularly sensitive, but advocates say transparency and education can change that.
Urgent care clinics move to fill abortion care gaps in rural areas
Kate Wells, KFF Health News, April 8
When Shawn Brown opened an urgent care clinic in the remote town of Marquette, Michigan, she didn’t expect she’d be providing abortion care there. She also didn’t expect the Planned Parenthood in town to close last spring, leaving no other in-person resource for abortions. “It’s a 500-mile stretch of no access,” Brown said. Across the country, abortion clinics have closed in states where they are still legal and rural hospitals have shuttered labor and delivery units. That has left patients in these areas with no access to pregnancy care. Now communities are coming up with alternatives, like Brown’s urgent care clinic.