Up to 40,000 people could qualify for free health coverage in CT
Jenna Carlesso, The Connecticut Mirror, July 13
A new state initiative called Covered Connecticut is expected to provide free health coverage for up to 40,000 people. The plan uses state funds to supplement federal financial assistance for some residents buying insurance through the state’s exchange, Access Health CT, eliminating premiums and cost-sharing for those who qualify.
Why millions could lose Medicaid next year
Ryan Levi, Tradeoffs, July 8
A congressional ban on removing anyone from Medicaid is likely to expire early next year. What will happen to people who lose their coverage, and how are states preparing for this unprecedented undertaking?
Related: Medicaid coverage surged in CT during pandemic. What happens when COVID emergency ends? Jordan Fenster, Hearst Connecticut Media, July 3
The U.S. health care system will be worse after the Covid-19 pandemic
Dylan Scott, Vox, July 6
American health care has been falling behind other countries in the developed world for decades. Life expectancy has increased, but by less in the U.S. than in the wealthy nations of Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, to achieve those mediocre results, the United States continues to spend more money on medical care than any other country in the world. And all of that was true even before the United States experienced one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world.
First Person: How Black women can interpret those scary health statistics
Jacquelynn Kerubo, The New York Times, July 12
Over the last 18 months, Americans received regular reminders of their own mortality. But for Black women, the dull roar of alarming health data was relentless even before COVID-19. As a Black woman, I found health data to be frightening, especially as I became pregnant and gave birth. While the data and reporting is important for policymaking, it can be detrimental to your mental health when it becomes a stream of terrifying headlines about your community or people who look like you.