Fake News More Believable Than Real News; Researchers Cite Familiarity As Reason

New research from Yale University indicates that fake news flourishes in large measure from its repetition – and can be more convincing than real news. The believably of fake news, according to the just-concluded study, is familiarity. Last year’s Presidential election brought considerable attention to the phenomenon of “fake news,” described as entirely fabricated and often highly partisan content that is presented as factual news. Disinformation of this sort poses a major threat to democracy, the researchers point out, after examining the success of fake news, particularly on social media.

Prior work has shown that familiarity increases perceived accuracy of entirely plausible and innocuous (but not necessarily true) statements. The Yale researchers investigated whether this effect extends to highly implausible and partisan statements.  Alarmingly, they found that it does.

Using actual fake news headlines presented as they are seen on Facebook, their 46-page research paper shows that even a single exposure increases perceptions of accuracy.  The researchers found that “increased perceptions of accuracy for familiar fake news headlines occurs even when the stories are labeled as contested by fact checkers, or are inconsistent with the reader’s political ideology. The effect is also evident when there is no conscious awareness of having previously seen the headline.”

“Collectively, our results indicate familiarity is used heuristically to infer accuracy. Thus, the spread of fake news is supported by persistent low-level cognitive processes that make even highly implausible and partisan claims more believable with repetition. Our results suggest that political echo chambers not only isolate one from opposing views, but also help to create incubation chambers for blatantly false (but highly salient and politicized) fake news stories.”

Three Yale University researchers - Gordon Pennycook a postdoctural fellow in the Department of Psychology, Tyrone D. Cannon, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Director of the Clinical Neuroscience Lab, and David G. Rand, Associate Professor of Psychology, Economics & Management in the School of Management – are raising alarms about the effectiveness of so-called “fake news.”  Their paper, "Prior Exposure Increases Perceived Accuracy of Fake News," appears on SSSN, a site "devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of research."

“News stories … were fabricated and promoted on social media in order to deceive the public for ideological and/or financial gain. An analysis of the top performing news articles in the months leading up to the election revealed that the top fake news articles actually outperformed the top real news articles on Facebook (in terms of shares, likes, and comments). Although it is unclear to what extent fake news influenced the outcome of the Presidential Election, there is no question that many people were deceived by entirely fabricated (and often quite fanciful) fake news stories,” the researchers explained.

“These findings have important implications for our society, and the functioning of democracy which relies on an informed electorate. For example, the familiarity effect we demonstrate suggests a potential self-reinforcing cycle of online falsehoods: the sharing of fake news on social media leads to increased familiarity, which leads to increased perceptions of accuracy, which presumably leads to more sharing, which necessarily leads to increased familiarity, which leads to further increases in perceptions of accuracy, and so on.”

They further point out that the “feedback cycle is likely to be particular pernicious when coupled with so-called ‘echo chambers’ in which people mostly interact online with others who share the same political opinions.”  Their results suggest that echo chambers not only isolate one from opposing views, but also help to create “incubation chambers for blatantly false (but highly salient and politicized) fake news stories.”

These findings have implications beyond just fake news on social media, according to the researchers. They suggest that "politicians who continuously repeat false statements will be successful, at least to some extent, in convincing people those statements are in fact true.”

PHOTO: David G. Rand, Tyrone Cannon, Gordon Pennycook

CT Ranked #4 in US in Education, Economic, Civic Opportunity

Including Connecticut, ranked #4 nationally, the New England states grabbed five of the top 10 slots in the Opportunity Index, an analysis of “how opportunities measure up” in communities across the country.  The Opportunity Index is an annual composite measure at the state and county levels of economic, educational and civic factors that expand opportunity. Leading the opportunity rankings are Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, North Dakota, Nebraska, Maine and Minnesota.  Connecticut exceeded the national average in all three components – Jobs and Local Economy, Education, and Community Health and Civic Life.

In the Education component of the Opportunity Index, Connecticut ranked second.  The state ranked sixth in the Community aspect of the index, but 20^th in the Economy scorecard.  The Economy rankings included data on jobs, wages, poverty, inequality, access to banking, affordable housing and internet access.

Connecticut’s overall score was 62.8, compared with the national average of 54.0.  Among Connecticut’s eight counties, the best overall opportunities are in Middlesex County, which earned a 63.1 score.  Next were Tolland County, 62.3; Fairfield County,62.1; Litchfield County, 60.6; Hartford County 59.5; New Haven County, 56.8; New London County, 54.3; and Windham County 51.2.

The index was jointly developed by Measure of America and Opportunity Nation.

Nationally, overall opportunity has increased by 8.9 percent since 2011, as unemployment has dropped and violent crime has been reduced, the data indicated.  In addition, the rate of young adults from age 16 to 24 who are neither working nor in school has fallen 9.1% since 2011, but remains above pre-recession levels. This number has decreased slightly since 2015.

Opportunity Nation is a bipartisan, national coalition of more than 350 businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions and community leaders working to expand economic opportunity. Opportunity Nation seeks to close the opportunity gap by amplifying the work of its coalition members, advocating policy and private sector actions and releasing the annual Opportunity Index.  Measure of America provides easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools for understanding well-being and opportunity in America.

The data, according to survey sponsors, comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Center for Education Statistics, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Justice.

In New England, Most Believe At Least Half of High School Grads Not Ready for College, Career

New Englanders overwhelmingly believe that at least half of high school students across the region graduate unprepared for college and a career, and that student-centered learning environments are part of the solution to this readiness problem. That’s according to the results of a poll that reflects growing concerns that children are not fully equipped for life after high school.  It is seen by some as a tipping point in public opinion that positions student-centered learning—which tailors education to the interests and needs of each student—as an answer to providing young people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed upon entering post-secondary education and the workforce.

That’s according to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (Nellie Mae) which released the poll that was conducted by the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, which surveyed 2,400 individuals across the region from August 5-31, 2016.

“Although graduation rates are at an all-time high, New Englanders are well aware that a diploma alone is no longer sufficient to ensure success for our students after high school,” said Nick Donohue, president & CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Among Connecticut residents, 33% said most graduates are prepared for college and a career, 48% said about half of graduates are ready, and 18% believe that “few graduates” are prepared for college and career.  Connecticut and New Hampshire had the highest percentage indicating that “most graduates” are prepared, with one-third of respondents (33%) expressing that view.

“Too frequently students arrive at college requiring developmental or remedial classes to strengthen basic skills just to move on to college-level material, or they begin careers without the tools and skills necessary to help them early on in their professional lives. The situation is more severe for people in traditionally marginalized communities – places that we need to prosper so our society can advance. The good news is that student-centered approaches to learning represent a path forward in which all students can succeed.”

There were some differences among the states.  In Connecticut, 48 percent said “some changes are needed, but basically schools should be kept the same.”  Only 14 percent said “public schools work well as they are now,” while 30 percent said “major changes are needed” and 8 percent said “a complete overhaul is needed” (the smallest percentage among the New England states).

A significantly greater proportion in Rhode Island believe “a complete overhaul is needed” than in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.   A significantly greater proportion in Maine believe “a complete overhaul is needed” than in Connecticut.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed in Connecticut (64%) called for “using technology to enhance the way students learn in the classroom” – the highest percentage among the six New England states.  A majority called for “more significant efforts to close achievement gaps” (59%), more effective teachers (62%) and changes to the ways schools are funded (57%).  The state legislature in Connecticut is currently considering changes in the school funding formula proposed by Gov. Malloy in the wake of a state court decision.

According to Nellie Mae, across New England, only 50 percent of high school students are graduating with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed after high school. These poll results show that New Englanders not only agree this is unacceptable, but that 90 percent believe that student-centered learning environments are part of the solution toward ensuring high school graduates are college and career ready.

Nellie Mae defines student-centered learning as personalized and happening anywhere, anytime. In student-centered environments, students move ahead based on mastery of content rather than class-seat time and they exert ownership over their own learning.

New Englanders found teachers to be among the most trusted group when it comes to educational decision-making and showed confidence in their ability to improve public education. Respondents also reported having confidence in parents and school and district leaders for improving education.

The poll comes amidst efforts by Nellie Mae to reshape public education in New England to reach an aggressive benchmark of 80 percent college and career readiness among our high school graduates by 2030. The Foundation is investing $200 million in grantmaking efforts toward advancing student-centered learning in schools and districts across the region in order to achieve this goal.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is the largest philanthropic organization in New England that focuses exclusively on education.

To read the poll report in its entirety, please visit http://bit.ly/2k4Dvv5

16 CT School Districts Named Among Nation's Best Communities for Music Education

Sixteen Connecticut school districts are among 527 districts across the being recognized as being among the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME). The annual listing of outstanding music education programs, now in its 18^th year, is developed by The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation in cooperation with researchers at The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

The awards program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of the curriculum. Designations are made to districts that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. These districts "set the bar in offering students access to comprehensive music education," according to officials at the NAMM Foundation.

The Connecticut school districts earning a slot on the Best Communities list:  Avon Public Schools, Bethel Public Schools, Bristol Public Schools, Canton Public Schools, Cheshire Public Schools, Fairfield Public Schools, Glastonbury Public Schools, Newington Public Schools, Newtown Public Schools, Plainville Community Schools, Regional School District No. 8, Simsbury Public School District, Southington Public Schools, Torrington Public Schools, West Hartford Public Schools, and Westport Public Schools.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, local school districts answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.

Last year, 13 Connecticut school districts were named, among 476 districts nationwide.  New to the list this year are Avon, Fairfield, Plainville, and Regional School District No. 8.  Falling from the list is Wilton.   

The designation takes on added significance this year, officials point out, with new research showing strong ties between K-12 school students who actively participate in school music education programs and overall student success. A recent study of students in the Chicago Public Schools by brain researchers at Northwestern University, detailed in Neuroscientist and Education Week, builds on previous findings that participation in music education programs helps improves brain function, discipline and language development, according to officials.

“Studying music has intrinsic benefits and, on its own, is core to learning.  Also, the links between student success and music education have now been demonstrated by brain researchers in multiple studies,” said Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation. “The schools and districts our foundation recognizes are building on that connection between music and academics. These schools and districts are models for other educators who see music as a key ingredient in a well-rounded curriculum that makes music available to all children, regardless of zip code.”

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by The National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. Its mission is to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs.

Cigna Recognized for Cultural Competency Efforts

Health disparities directly and indirectly cost the U.S. economy $309 billion annually, and it is estimated that approximately 30% of direct medical costs for Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are unnecessary costs resulting from health disparities, according to a paper prepared by Connecticut-based Cigna. Indirect costs, the paper points out, include lost work productivity and premature death. The paper, focusing on Cultural Competency in Health Care, is part of an initiative by Cigna that has been recognized with an "Innovation in Advancing Health Equity Award" by the National Business Group on Health, which honored the insurer for its ongoing commitment to promoting health equity and reducing health care disparities in the workplace and community.

"Health equity exists when all people, regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, geographic location, or other societal constructs have the same access, opportunity, and resources to achieve their highest potential for health. It is our hope that these companies provide an example and encourage other employers to advance health equity," said Brian Marcotte, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health.

Cigna was recognized for its nationwide program, America Says Ahh, to improve preventive care and encourage regular check-ups. A key feature of the campaign is the TV Doctors of America preventive care advocacy campaign featuring five famous TV doctors.  Among them is Alan Alda, best known for his role on M*A*S*H.  Alda will be on Hartford on Saturday evening at The Connecticut Forum.

“For Cigna's network doctors and clinicians, we created and delivered an in-depth cultural competency training with an emphasis on engaging Hispanic patients, and produced an external white paper on Cultural Competency in Health Care,” said Peggy Payne, a leader within Cigna's Health Equity Strategy area.

“The U.S. population is increasingly diverse. Cultural competency is essential to deliver health care services that meet the needs of each individual and improves overall health,” said Christina Stasiuk, D.O., National Medical Director for Health Equity at Cigna.

Racial and ethnic minorities currently make up about a third of the U.S. population, and are expected to become a majority by 2055, the paper points out, noting that:

• Hispanics will continue to make up the largest portion of the minority population
• The Asian population is expected to grow at the fastest rate between 2015 and 2055
• The foreign-born population will increase at a higher rate than the native born population, accounting for approximately 20% of the U.S. population by 2060

As the U.S. becomes more diverse, it is likely that more individuals will have limited English proficiency or will not adhere to Western cultural norms, which may contribute to greater health disparities, the Cigna paper points out.

“Reducing health disparities is a business and social imperative. Minority populations will likely become an increasing share of providers’ patient panels, employers’ workforces, and health plans’ customers, requiring that all stakeholders seek ways to promote health equity to improve health and access, reduce costs, and improve experience,” the Cigna paper emphasizes, suggesting employers can take to build cultural competency and improve health outcomes for all their employees by:

• Expanding their human resources leadership team to include experts in cultural competency and diversity
• Instituting multicultural staff representatives to support onsite health services, such as health fairs and open enrollment
• Seeking feedback from diverse groups of employees about their experiences as health care customers
• Providing materials and benefits information that are culturally competent, e.g., culturally adapted or language-specific
• Proactively gathering the demographic data of their workforce to measure and take action on health trends
• Collaborating with their health plan to better engage employees in their health

Cigna indicates that the company has “ongoing efforts to help ensure that Cigna staff is culturally and linguistically competent.”

The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues and helping companies optimize business performance through health improvement, innovation and health care management.

https://youtu.be/foL9gfbfweY

Disconnected Youth: Fewer in Connecticut Than Nationally; Disparities Reduced But Continue

Fewer young people across the country are disconnected from school and work today than were before the Great Recession, according to new national data. The 2015 youth disconnection rate, 12.3 percent, is below the 2008 rate of 12.6 and well below the 2010 youth disconnection peak, 14.7 percent. All of Connecticut’s five Congressional Districts show lower rates of disconnected youth than the national average.

That’s a 16 percent drop over five years translates to roughly 900,000 fewer young people cut off from pathways that lead to independent, rewarding adulthoods, according to data compiled by the Social Science Research Council.

The report, “Promising Gains, Persistent Gaps,” compares the degree of youth disconnectedness in Congressional Districts across the country.

Disconnected youth are teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor working. Being detached from both the educational system and the labor market during the pivotal years of emerging adulthood can be dispiriting and damaging to a young person, and the effects of youth disconnection have been shown to follow individuals for the rest of their lives, resulting in lower incomes, higher unemployment rates, and negative physical and mental health outcomes. The harms accrue not only to young people themselves, but reverberate across time and place, making youth disconnection a national concern that must be addressed by society at large.

Youth disconnection rates vary enormously by congressional district—from an impressively low rate of 4.4 percent in Wisconsin District 2, the mostly urban Madison area, to an alarmingly high rate of 23.1 percent—or nearly one in every four young people—in Kentucky District 5 in rural Appalachia.

Connecticut fares relatively well.  Northeastern and Midwestern congressional districts have lowest rates of youth disconnection, 11.1 percent on average.

Connecticut’s best ranked Congressional district is the 2^nd, in Eastern Connecticut, with an 8.7 percent of youth ages 16-24 disconnected, ranking 60^th among the nation’s 435 Congressional districts.  Next best if Connecticut’s 5^th district, in Western Connecticut, ranked 116^th with 9.9 percent disconnected youth.  The 3^rd C.D. ranks 134^th, at 10.1 percent; the 4^th C.D ranks 104^th with 10.3 percent; and the 1^st C.D. ranks 167th at 10.9 percent.

On average, a gap of 7.4 percentage points separates the best and worst districts within a state. Connecticut’s gap is only 2.2 percentage points.

The greatest disparity is found in New York State; a worrisome 15.2 percentage points separate New York’s District 20 in the Albany area (7.1 percent) and District 15 in New York City’s South Bronx (22.3 percent).

The most equitable state in terms of youth disconnection is also found in the Northeast; a nearly negligible 0.1 point separates Maine’s District 1, which hugs the southern coast and includes the capital, Augusta (9.8 percent), and District 2, a more rural district that encompasses most of the state (9.7 percent).

The analysis found that nationally, young women are slightly less likely to be disconnected than young men. And there is “astonishing variation in disconnection rates by race and ethnicity.” The share of young people cut off from workforce and educational opportunities, the report found, ranges from only one in fourteen Asian American youth to more than one in four Native American youth. The Asian American youth disconnection rate is 7.2 percent; the white rate is 10.1 percent; the Latino rate is 14.3 percent; the black rate is 18.9 percent; and the Native American rate is 25.4 percent.

The report concludes that “at-risk youth need the kind of support from communities and institutions that other young people take for granted: safe places to live and food on the table; caring adults to help them navigate the often-bewildering transition from child to adult; opportunities to try new things, to fail, and to try again; and experiences that build not just hard and soft skills for the marketplace, but also self-knowledge, agency, and confidence.”

$93 Million in Tax Credits to Film, Digital Industries in Connecticut

An estimated $349 million was spent in Connecticut by qualified productions and $93 million in tax credits were issued to 25 media production companies under the state’s tax credit program during fiscal year 2016.  The tax credits are designed to boost the state’s economy by attracting film and digital productions to the state, creating employment opportunities for state residents. According to the Office of Film, Television and Digital Media, which supports and enhances Connecticut’s film, television and digital media industry, companies are provided with direct financial assistance programs, including but not limited to loans, grants, and job expansion tax credits structured to incentivize relocation to Connecticut and the growth and development of current Connecticut-based companies.

The breakdown by industry segment:

• Production Companies - $188 million spent; $56 million in tax credits issued
• Film Infrastructure - $106 million spent, $21 million in tax credits
• Digital Animation - $54 million spent; $15 million in tax credits

Film infrastructure tax credits went to companies including ESPN in Bristol and NBC Universal in Stamford; Digital Animation tax credits to Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich.

The production companies receiving tax credits from the state included well-known names such as A&E, Connecticut Public Broadcasting, ESPN, World Wrestling Entertainment and Bob’s Discount Furniture, which received just under a million dollars in tax credits under the program.

The legislation, first approved in 2006 and amended twice during the past decade, makes it possible for eligible production companies to receive a tax credit on a sliding scale of up to 30 percent on qualified digital media and motion picture production, pre-production and post production expenses incurred in the state. The Office “actively assists local, national and international motion picture, TV and media production entities with finding locations in Connecticut, rules and procedures, securing permits, hiring local cast and crew and other services,” according to the agency’s website.  In addition, the Office “represents the state and its agencies, municipalities and resident media professionals in interactions with media production entities and the industry at large.”

The popular reality courtroom drama “The People’s Court” announced this month plans to move to a new location on Stamford’s West Side. The show’s production company, Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Productions, is moving its headquarters to an 18,739-square-foot space at 470 West Ave., from its current space at 300 Stillwater Avenue in the city. Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Productions received nearly $4 million in tax credits in fiscal year 2016, spending just over $13 million in the state on a number of prominent program productions.

This summer, a digital training program will provide courses at the UConn Stamford Campus including social media management, web design and development, and manipulating digital content.  Digital Media CT (DMCT) is developed in partnership by the Connecticut Office of Film, Television & Digital Media and the University of Connecticut Digital Media & Design Department. It has been designed for individuals who want to develop the basic skills necessary to seek work in the industry or enhance their current skill set and advance their careers.

The program is described as most appropriate for individuals with prior or current professional experience in the industry, college graduates with majors in communications, film, television, marketing, and digital media, or students currently enrolled in relative academic coursework.

Later this year from Blue Sky:

https://youtu.be/jyJgGsZo2wA

New Facilities at Southern, UConn Stress Science Education, Careers

In the fall of 2015, Connecticut’s efforts to encourage science careers among students attending state colleges ramped up with the opening of a new Science and Laboratory Building on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and the groundbreaking for a Science and Engineering Building at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Both projects are back in the news.

Southern’s Academic Science & Laboratory Building has been certified LEED® Gold, placing it among the top one-third most sustainably designed certified buildings in the state.  The building saves the university 34 percent on its energy consumption and reduces water use by 20 percent.

Designed by Centerbrook Architects & Planners, the nearly 104,000-square-foot building exceeded expectations with its sustainable features. Originally targeted for LEED® Silver, the Academic Science & Laboratory Building scored 63 points on the LEED® scale to earn BD+C (Building Design + Construction) Gold.  The $49 million project was created entirely through state bonding, and predominantly features interactive laboratory spaces, with only two traditional lecture halls.

In Storrs, UConn’s new Engineering and Science Building is now 75 percent complete, and will be operational this fall.  It is expected to provide room for some of the university’s fastest growing research fields – systems genomics, biomedical sciences, robotics, cyber-physical systems (think drones) and virtual reality technology.

The five-story building will see researchers will move in to the new space this summer, beginning in July. It will be the first structure on the Storrs campus to utilize an “open lab” concept for research. The shared research space and open floor plan is intended to make it easier for scientists from different disciplines to collaborate, fostering innovation, according to UConn Today. The new structure will also give scientists access to a high-speed broadband network can process large amounts of data quickly – a necessity in many research fields today.

The building’s first floor is to include a Robotics and Controls Lab, Computational design Lab, Adaptive systems, Intelligence, and Mechatronics Lab and Manufacturing Systems Laboratory.  The second and third floors will feature the Institute for Systems Genomics, Center for Genome Innovation, Computational Biology Core and Microbial Analysis.  The top two floors will include labs focusing on Cellular Mechanics, Neuroengineering and Pain research, Interdisciplinary Mechanics, Membrane Separations, Advanced Solar Cells and Computational Atmospheric Chemistry.

Southern's Academic Science and Laboratory Building features Connecticut’s only center for nanotechnology and training labs for high performance computing, astronomy, cancer research, and molecular biology. It is also home to the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies. Stressing the connection between education and employment, Southern notes that the Greater New Haven area is home to the second-largest cluster of biotechnology companies in New England.

https://youtu.be/0GLnUUlsQ7g

https://youtu.be/kSkgezEqcJs

Insurance Department Recovers $7.5 Million for Policyholders, Taxpayers in 2016; Highest Total in 4 Years

Connecticut’s Insurance Department recovered $7.5 million for policyholders and taxpayers in 2016, helping individuals, families and employers with their claims and complaints.  That is the highest amount in four years and an increase from the $6 million that the department saved taxpayers and policyholders the previous year. “Connecticut consumers turn to us every year to help them with claims and coverage issues or to just answer questions about their insurance,” said Insurance Commissioner Katharine L. Wade. “Our intervention in 2016 helped thousands of policyholders get much-needed answers, resolution and the benefits to which they are entitled.”

Consumer recoveries and industry fines totaled approximately $6.3 million in 2014, $7.3 million in 2013 and approximately $8.7 million for policyholders and state taxpayers in 2012, the high water mark in recent years.

Commissioner Wade said among the many cases the Department worked on during 2016 was a dispute that involved nearly $170,000 in hospital bills for a victim of a car accident. The patient had health care coverage under two plans – through his employer and as a dependent on his parent’s health insurance. When a dispute arose over which plan was the primary payer, the Department stepped in and determined it was the employer’s plan, which then covered the claims.  Another case involved a motorist whose car was totaled in an accident. When motorist’s insurer initially denied her claim, the Department required that the insurer review the case further. The insurer subsequently paid 100 percent of the motorist’s claims.

The Department’s Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) fielded more than 5,800 complaints and inquiries and helped policyholders recoup nearly $6 million from January 1 to December 31, 2016, according to officials. Also in 2016, the Department’s Market Conduct division levied approximately $1.6 million in fines against carriers and returned that money to the state’s General Fund. The fines resulted from a variety of violations and settlements ranging from untimely claim payments to improper licensing, the department said.

The majority of the funds recovered for policyholders stemmed from complaints over health, accident, homeowners and life and annuities policies. The  breakdown of funds recovered in 2016:

• Accident, Health - $3.63 million
• Auto - $432,000
• General Liability - $33,710
• Homeowners and Commercial Property - $874,250
• Life, Annuities - $820,000
• Miscellaneous - $160,000

The department announced this month that licensing renewal notices for casualty adjusters and motor vehicle property damage appraisers will now be handled online, with an anticipated savings of nearly $40,000 in processing and mailing costs.The renewals also are now processed online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The licenses expire on June 30, 2017 and are good for two years. The casualty adjuster renewals are expect to generate approximately $6 million for the General Fund.

“The Department is now emailing renewal notices to the 73,000 casualty adjusters and motor vehicle property damage appraisers in Connecticut improving efficiency by saving time and shedding thousands of dollars in mailing and postage costs,” Wade said.

The Department calculates its consumer recoveries based on what the policyholder received as a result of the Department’s intervention. The inquiries and complaints also help the Department identify industry trends that may adversely affect consumers and trigger investigation by the Market Conduct division.  Complaint data also help determine topics for consumer education and serve as tools to help the Department monitor the industry.  The Market Conduct enforcement actions are posted on the Department’s Web site at www.ct.gov/cid

Responding to Hunger with Capacity Building; Coalition Initiative Renewed

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ)  and Urban Alliance received a $30,000 grant from the Farmington Bank Community Foundation to support More than Food, a framework that helps food pantries with more capacity-building resources in addition to short-term food supplies to help address the root causes of hunger.  More than Food, developed by USJ, Urban Alliance and Foodshare, was initially launched with funding from the Farmington Bank Community Foundation in 2014. This latest grant supports the program over the next two years. “More than Food focuses on promoting healthy food in pantries and helping people access other resources to find a job. We’re proud to support a partnership that is trying to find a solution to the hunger problem,” said Chris Traczyk, executive director of the Farmington Bank Community Foundation.  “It’s a comprehensive, collective-impact project.”  Dr. Katie Martin, assistant professor and director of the Public Health Program at USJ, and her research team developed a nutrition stoplight system called Supporting Wellness at Pantries, or “SWAP”, which helps food pantry clients choose healthier foods.

USJ is collaborating with the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport to pilot the SWAP system in six food pantries in CT, which together serve over 5,000 people on average every month. Under the More than Food framework, the grant from the Farmington Bank Community Foundation will help expand this work to offer trainings and implement and evaluate the SWAP system in additional food pantries.

As part of the More than Food framework, Urban Alliance has developed various training series and toolkits to equip food pantry staff and volunteers to offer case management services and resource centers that help connect clients to necessary community programs through its Beyond the Basics initiative. Also, Urban Alliance is developing a training program to help pantries create a welcoming environment that fosters the dignity and respect of each person served.

A website, www.ittakesmorethanfood.org , has been developed to share information about the More than Food framework and provide practical guidance and tools to food pantries to help them offer healthy foods with choice, connect clients to needed services, and create a welcoming culture. The recent grant award will help refine, disseminate, and evaluate materials that will be shared through the website.

The website points to the mission ahead: "When the 'emergency' of hunger has lasted over three decades, and with strong evidence that food insecurity is associated with chronic health problems, it is time to rethink the way we provide food assistance and time to examine the effectiveness of food pantries. Through our work, we are changing the conversation about hunger away from emergency food to a person-centered and strength-based approach to help people set and achieve goals in their life."

“We are very grateful for the continuing support of the Farmington Bank Community Foundation, as well as the collaborative work of our partner organizations in making More than Food a holistic way to address hunger in our area,” said USJ's Martin. Currently there are multiple food pantries in Connecticut, Texas and Rhode Island that are implementing the More than Food framework to address the root causes of hunger.