SAY ‘HELLO’ TO CONNECTICUT’S NEW NONPROFIT INSURANCE COMPANY: HEALTHYCT

In 1997 the takeover of Blue Cross Blue Shield of CT by Anthem Health Plans left Connecticut with for-profit health insurance companies only - a far from ideal situation for its residents.   But all that’s changed now that we have our own, nonprofit, Consumer Operated-Oriented Plan, (CO-OP) HealthyCT.
 
CO-OPs are made possible through the Affordable Care Act and meant to encourage states to start their own insurance companies. “ These new private nonprofit insurers will be run by consumers and are designed to offer individual and small businesses more affordable, consumer-friendly, high-quality insurance options, “says Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator, Center of Medicare Services.  

For consumers this means “HealthyCT will be run by a board made up of patients, small business owners and doctors who’ve been elected by subscribers,” says Dr. David D. Thompson, Jr. Head of the Connecticut State Medical Society Independent Practice Association one of the CO-OPs sponsors.”   “This is much different than other insurance models,” says Ken Lalime, CEO of HealthyCT.   And HealthyCT profits must go directly back into the plan to benefit its members.  So “instead of routing profits to shareholders as commercial insurers do,” notes Lalime, profits go directly back into the business to lower costs and improve quality.”   

Using something called the  ‘patient medical home,‘ a primary care delivery model meant to create patient/provider relationships,  each HealthyCT subscriber will have a personal physician and team of providers to coordinate every aspect of care from scheduling specialists’ appointments and tests to overseeing preventive care.  And subscribers will have a statewide network of physicians and sub-physicians to choose from.  

HealthyCT has the support of state legislators, businesses, medical professionals and the Universal Health Care Foundation (a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring access to quality affordable health care for everyone) who awarded them a grant to help start-up the company.  “We are proud to have them as a partner - this funding sends a strong signal that what we’re trying to achieve is in the best interest of patients and small businesses,” says Dr. David S. Katz, HealthyCT Board President.   And that’s something we can all be proud of.