The Connecticut Insurance Department (CID), the Office of The Healthcare Advocate (OHA), and the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) will jointly hold an informational session with a collection of stakeholders to identify policy-based solutions to lower health care costs.

This discussion is a follow-up to December 1 forum that identified various cost drivers contributing to the rising cost of healthcare and health insurance premiums.

“A recent Gallup poll suggests that nearly 40% of Americans are delaying needed healthcare because of costs. It's time for all of us to work together to address the high costs of health care, and this forum will focus on concrete solutions aimed at moving the state forward,” said Dr. Deidre Gifford, Executive Director, Office of Health Strategy.

“The first forum in December brought to light stunning, indisputable data: people in Connecticut do not use more medical services than the families in Europe, Australia and all other wealthy nations who get equal or better-quality care for half the cost. It’s only our actual prices that are higher. To get to affordable healthcare, we need to make progress on medical and drug prices, and I look forward to hearing the price-oriented solutions that Connecticut industry and national experts will bring forward this week,” said State Healthcare Advocate Ted Doolittle.

“It is time to address the necessary next steps to begin to rein in costs, increase transparency, and help make health care more affordable and available for all,” said Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais.

The informational session will be held both in person at the Legislative Office Building, Hartford, and streamed live online on CT-N.

Meeting Date: February 3, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM
Where: Room 1D, Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford, Connecticut
Viewing: This informational session will be held both in person and online. CTN will webstream the informational session live.

Representatives from hospitals, non-hospital healthcare providers, pharmacies, insurers, and academics will participate in several panel discussions.

Introduction by Host Agencies: CID, OHA, OHS – 15 minutes (recap of Session 1 and overview theme of Session 2 – Solutions/Policies)

• Connecticut Insurance Department (5 min)
• Office of Health Strategy (5 min)
• Office of the Healthcare Advocate (5 min)

Section 1: Prior & New Panelists/Participants – Suggested Policies/Solutions 

1. Consumer Perspectives – Frederick Isasi, Families USA (virtual) (10 minutes)
2. Industry Perspectives (10 mins each – 60 minutes total)
   1. PhRMA—Kelly Ryan, Dep. VP, State Policy
   2. PBMs: Pharmaceutical Care Mgmt. Assoc. – Sam Hallemeier
   3. Hospitals: Kurt Barwis, President & CEO – Bristol Hospital; Non-hospital – Greg Shangold, M.D. CT State Medical Soc. Harford Healthcare Dr. James Cardon, EVP Chief Clinical Integration Officer, CEO of Integrated Care Partners
   4. Carriers: Susan Halpin – CT Association of Health Plans
   5. Questions from moderators & discussion (15 minutes)
3. Academics (10 mins each – 60 minutes total)
   1. Cynthia Cox - (virtual) VP, Kaiser Family Foundation
   2. Christine Monahan (virtual) - Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reform
   3. Loren Adler (virtual) (Assoc. Director, USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy)
   4. Peter Bach, M.D. (virtual) Chief Medical Officer, Delfi Diagnostics
   5. Michael Bailit (virtual) President, Bailit Health
   6. Maureen Hensley-Quinn (virtual) The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Senior Program Director
   7. Questions from moderators & discussion (15 minutes)

Section 2: Moderator Agencies: Solutions & Policy Introductions (30 minutes)

1. OHA
2. OHS
3. CID

Section 3: Moving to Value in Connecticut: Creating a Transformed Healthcare Ecosystem through Industry collaboration. (1 hour)

Connecticut General Assembly, Insurance & Real Estate Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Kerry Wood, Sen. Jorge Cabrera 

1. Jeffrey Hogan, President, Upside Health Advisory
2. Dr. Steven Schutzer, Trinity Health of New England
3. Christine Cappiello, Anthem
4. Dr. Phil Roland, Cigna

Section 4: Further perspectives & CT State Retirees/Employees Plan Case Study

1. Josh Wojcik, Office of the State Comptroller (30 minutes)
2. Katie Gudiksen - Senior Health Policy Researcher for The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition (UC-Hasting Law Sch.) (15 minutes)
3. Questions from moderators & discussion – 15 minutes

Section 5: Wrap-up  (15 minutes)

1. CID
2. OHS
3. OHA