With Operational Snags at AIM Specialty Health Causing Appointments to be Cancelled, Anthem Suspends Pre-Authorizations for PT, OT Care Thru July 31

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With Operational Snags at AIM Specialty Health Causing Appointments to be Cancelled, Anthem Suspends Pre-Authorizations for PT, OT Care Thru July 31

“Heath care moves fast.  Keep up.”  Those words appear prominently on the website of AIM Specialty Care, a subsidiary of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and a provider of utilization management services, better known as the “pre-authorization” that medical providers require before agreeing to see patients with insurance coverage. In the first days of this month, AIM did not keep up.

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Illinois - Not Connecticut - Is Next State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

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Illinois - Not Connecticut - Is Next State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

Illinois became the 11th state in the nation to legalize recreational cannabis this week, as the issue continues to face an uncertain future in Connecticut, with the state’s business community among those raising questions that slowed progress to the point of inaction in the just-concluded legislative session.   

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Earning State’s HEARTSafe Designation Can Be Key to Saving Lives; UConn Is Most Recent Participant, Some Municipalities Remain Absent

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Earning State’s HEARTSafe Designation Can Be Key to Saving Lives; UConn Is Most Recent Participant, Some Municipalities Remain Absent

The University of Connecticut was recently named a “HEARTSafe Campus” – the first institution of higher education in the state of Connecticut to earn the designation. The “HEARTSafe” program recognizes communities, workplaces, and campuses that improve the chances for individuals to survive a sudden cardiac arrest. Not every town is on board.

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Food, Housing Insecurity Prevalent Among College Students in U.S.

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Food, Housing Insecurity Prevalent Among College Students in U.S.

Connecticut is one of only 11 states that did not have any higher education institutions that chose to participate in a survey of basic needs security among college students across the United States, which specifically evaluated access to affordable food and housing. The study revealed an unsettling absence of both at colleges campuses throughout the nation.

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Task Force to Review Mental Health Services for College Students Approved by Legislature

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Task Force to Review Mental Health Services for College Students Approved by Legislature

In the state legislature’s final hour of the 2019 session, the House voted without objection, following unanimous support in April by the Senate, to create a task force to study of the policies and procedures adopted by each institution of  higher education in Connecticut regarding the prevention and treatment of mental illness in students. 

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Soda Tax in Doubt (Again) As CT Legislative Session Nears Conclusion; Study Finds Sales Drop When Prices Climb

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Soda Tax in Doubt (Again) As CT Legislative Session Nears Conclusion; Study Finds Sales Drop When Prices Climb

In February, USA Today suggested that “Connecticut may become the first state in the country to tax sugar-sweetened beverages if Gov. Ned Lamont has his way.” With two weeks remaining in the legislative regular session, and budget negotiations within sight of their goal, the tax may be left behind.

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Connecticut-based Health Plans Boost State’s Economy, Study Finds

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Connecticut-based Health Plans Boost State’s Economy, Study Finds

A recent study on economic impact of Connecticut-based health plans indicates they have a significant influence on the state’s economic health.  The health plans – all household names in Connecticut – provide $15 billion a year in positive economic output, according to a study by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC).

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Research Report Finds Suicide Rate Among Young Girls Climbing, Raising Concerns

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Research Report Finds Suicide Rate Among Young Girls Climbing, Raising Concerns

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in kids and teens ages 10 to 19 in the United States, after accidents and unintentional injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association is raising new alarms, with evidence that suicide rates for young girls, ages 10 to 14, are rising at a pace faster than that of boys,

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