OLR Research Reports - Office of Legislative Research:

• Private Disability Insurance in Connecticut - 2016-R-0144
  Explain disability insurance, including benefit and elimination periods. Describe the major laws and regulations governing disability insurance in Connecticut. Explain how disability insurance in Connecticut differs from workers� compensation insurance.

• Illegal Act and Drug and Alcohol Exclusions in Health Insurance Policies - 2016-R-0138
  Explain illegal act and drug and alcohol exclusions in insurance policies in Connecticut and other states.

• Health Insurance Transparency Questions - 2016-R-0116
  Health insurance disclosure issues and related questions.

• Husky B and Husky Plus - 2016-R-0089
  Provide an overview of HUSKY B and HUSKY PLUS Physical health coverage.

• Personal Health Information Disclosure - 2016-R-0050
  Describe the laws that limit the circumstances in which health care providers may release a patient's personal health information.

• Medicaid Cost Sharing - 2016-R-0007
  Does Federal law prohibit States from imposing cost sharing requirements on Medicaid recipients?

• 2013-2015 Mental and Behavioral Health Legislation - 2016-R-0002
  This report provides a brief summary of mental and behavioral health legislation enacted by the Connecticut legislature between 2013 and 2015.

• Connecticut's Family and Medical Leave Act - 2015-R-0308
  This report describes the state�s Family and Medical
  Leave Act (CGS �� 31-51kk through 31-51qq) for
  private-sector employers.

• Access to Medicaid Services - 2015- R-0291
  This report summarizes a new federal rule on access
  to Medicaid services (80 FR 67575).

• OLR Backgrounder: Health Insurance Provider and Facility Mandates - 2015-R-0273
  Describe Connecticut health insurance provider and facility mandates. This report updates OLR Report 2008-R-0138.

• Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act - 2015-R-0216
  What changes did the federal Affordable Care Act make to the Medicaid program?

• Health Care Employee Vaccinations - 2015-R-0224
  Does state law require health care employees to be vaccinated against the flu or other conditions, and have there been recent bills on this topic?.

• OLR Backgrounder: Medicaid Eligibility - 2015-R-0238
  This report describes Medicaid eligibility in Connecticut and discusses recent changes. It updates OLR Report 2013-R-0016.

• State Statutes on Breast Cancer Screening and Coverage - 2015-R-0210
  This report summarizes Connecticut statutes on (1) health insurance coverage for breast cancer screening and (2) other breast cancer-related programs.

• Health Insurance Benefit Mandates - 2015-R-0188
  When are states required to defray the cost of health insurance benefits (i.e., benefits required by state law) under the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act( ACA)?

• Short-Term Care Insurance - 2015-R-0185
  This report answers several questions about short-term care insurance in Connecticut. The specific questions and answers follow.

• Copayments and Deductibles on Medicaid and Health Insurance Plans - 2015-R-0160
  This report provides information on copayments and deductibles for (1) Medicaid, (2) state employee medical plans, and (3) other private health insurance plans. It also includes general income limits for eligibility for Connecticut�s Medicaid-funded health care programs.

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 2015-R-0127
  This report answers a series of questions on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that address (1) screening and diagnostic methods, (2) its prevalence and associated health care costs in Connecticut, and (3) local and national advocacy organizations.

• Nonmedical Exemptions from Childhood Immunization Requirements - 2015-R-0088- This report provides an overview of laws on nonmedical exemptions to childhood immunization requirements.

• 2013 and 2014 Legislation Affecting Access to Mental Health Services- 2014-R-0150- What significant legislation was enacted this year and last year concerning access to mental health services?

• OLR Backgrounder: State-Mandated Health Insurance Benefits - 2014-R-0143
  This report briefly describes Connecticut’s mandated health insurance benefits. It updates an earlier report (2012-R-0446) by incorporating laws enacted in 2013 and 2014. (See OLR Report 2008-R-0138 for a list of health care providers and facilities whose services health insurance policies must cover under state law.)

• Chronic Care in Medicaid and Public Health- 2014-R-0031-This report addresses several questions on programs targeting frequent use of the emergency department (ED) by Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as questions on chronic disease programs and related legislation. The specific questions and answers follow.

• Affordable Care Act - Questions and Answers - 2013-R-0300
  This report presents a series of questions and answers about the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (P.L. 111-148), as amended.
  For a more detailed overview of the law's private health insurance provisions, see OLR Research Report 2010-R-0255.

• Hospital Regulation in Connecticut - 2013-R-0266
  You asked for a brief summary of how Connecticut's acute care hospitals are regulated. You also wanted to know what actions nonprofit acute care hospitals must take to maintain their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

• Disclosure of Deceased Person's Medical Records - 2013-R-0124
  You asked (1) whether patient confidentiality rights continue after death and (2) if so, could the legislature change this?

• Duty of Mental Health Professionals To Warn Of Potentially Violent Conduct by Patients -2013-R-0089
  You asked us to update OLR report 2010-R-0024 on the duty of mental health professionals to warn of potentially violent conduct by patients.

• OLR Backgrounder: Patient Access to Medical Records - 2012-R-0510 - This report updates OLR Report 2010-R-0339, which summarizes state laws on patient access to medical records in a question and answer format. (The terms medical records and health records are used interchangeably reflecting their usage in statute.)

• Right to Die Laws - 2012-R-0477 - You asked about laws or legislation in other states concerning the right to die.  You also asked about Connecticut bills on this topic.

• OLR Backgrounder: State-Mandated Health Insurance Benefits - 2012-R-0446
  This report lists and briefly describes Connecticut's mandated health insurance benefits. It updates an earlier report (2011-R-0504) by incorporating revisions enacted in 2012. (See OLR Report 2008-R-0138 for a list of health care providers and facilities whose services health insurance policies must cover under Connecticut law.).

• Small Employer Grouping for Health Insurance Coverage - 2011-R-0363
  You asked if Connecticut law permits small employers to group together solely to secure health insurance coverage. If yes, you want a legislative history of the law allowing this grouping.

• Medicare Part D - Explanation of State and Federal Assistance For Program Beneficiaries - 2011-R-0299
  The following is an explanation of the relationship between the federal Medicare Part D drug benefit, the Part D Low-Income Subsidy program, the ConnPACE program, and the Medicare Savings Program in light of changes the legislature has made in the latter two programs in the last few years.

• Process for Health Insurance Rate Increases - 2010-R-0507
  You asked (1) how an insurance company gets an approved rate increase in Connecticut for individual and group health insurance, (2) if there is a public hearing on such a proposed rate increase, and (3) if either the healthcare advocate or attorney general plays a role in the process.

• State Mandated Health Insurance Benefits - 2010-R-0447
  You asked for an update of OLR Research Report 2007-R-0703, which provides a list of state mandated health insurance benefits.

• Health Insurance Coverage for Cancer Pills - 2009-R-0311
  You asked if Connecticut law requires health insurance policies to provide coverage for oral medication to treat cancer and, if not, if a law could be passed to require such coverage. You provided an article from The New York Times that discussed the coverage issue as stemming from the difference in cost between receiving cancer medications intravenously versus orally in pill form (Insurance Laws as Cancer Care Comes in a Pill, April 15, 2009).

• Medicaid Coverage of Assisted Living Services - 2009-R-0300
  You asked (1) if Medicaid coverage is available to someone living in a private assisted living facility and (2) what the legislature could do to help seniors who exhaust their own resources remain in these facilities instead of being forced to move into more restrictive settings. You have a constituent living in a private Alzheimer's assisted living facility who can no longer pay for his care and was told he must transfer to a nursing home in order to receive Medicaid coverage.

• Patient Information Security - 2009-R-0019
  You asked for information regarding federal and state safeguards preventing the medical industry from using patients' social security numbers (SSNs) inappropriately, particularly the security standards, the penalties for security breaches, and efforts to curb the use of SSNs.

• Living Wills and Health Care Representatives - 2008-R-0237
  You asked how Connecticut's living will and health care representative laws compare with other states, especially regarding the situations a living will covers.

• Setting Rates For An Individual Health Insurance Policy - 2008-R-0127
  You asked how an insurance company sets rates for an individual high deductible health plan, a federally tax qualified plan compatible with a health savings account. Specifically, you wanted to know if an individual is considered part of a group for rating purposes.

• Patient Access to Medical Records - 2006-R-0599

• Prison Health Care - 2005-R-0214

• Managed Care - Frequently Asked Questions

• 3 Step Complaint Process

• Internal Appeals Process

• External Appeal Process

• Managed Care Laws

• Differences Between State and Federal Regulation

• Prescription Coverage - Frequently Asked Questions

• Problems - If You Need Help

• Understanding Your Managed Health Care Plan  (PDF)

• Know Your Rights (Managed Care)  (PDF)