MCO FOI 3/17/06
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
Comptroller Nancy S. Wyman
Heathcare Advocate Kevin Lembo
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FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2006
ATTORNEY GENERAL, COMPTROLLER, HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE JOIN COURT FIGHT TO OPEN MCO MEDICAID RECORDS
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today filed a motion to intervene in defense of a Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) decision ordering Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to make public reimbursement rates under the state Medicaid program.
Blumenthal filed the motion on behalf of state Comptroller Nancy S. Wyman and state Healthcare Advocate Kevin Lembo.
The FOIC ordered the information released pursuant to a complaint by a Yale professor and supported by New Haven Legal Assistance, which alleges that the reimbursement rates are so low that they hinder coverage.
“The vital principle of open and accountable government is at stake: the public must retain the right to know how tax dollars are spent, regardless of who provides a government service,” Blumenthal said. “Hiring contractors to perform government services does not exempt public information from disclosure. Public information remains public, regardless of who delivers a government service.
“Disclosure is vital because of questions about whether MCOs are delivering the coverage they have been contracted to provide. These concerns cannot be resolved without release of reimbursement information.
“Privatization of government records and spending is illegal and unacceptable. I will fight vigorously any attempt to block or prevent release of public records.”
“The taxpayers of this state deserve to know how their money is being spent,” Wyman said. “It is not only my constitutional duty to monitor these funds, but it simply defies common sense that $650 million of taxpayers’ money is being spent without proper scrutiny. Opening these books will not only mean greater accountability for these managed care companies and for the state, but hopefully will result in better care for patients.”
“If we demand an itemized restaurant bill for a $100 dinner, shouldn't we get the same for our $650 million healthcare program?” Lembo said. “The people of Connecticut have a compelling interest in knowing the truth.
“Our healthcare financing and delivery systems have significant structural problems - problems of cost, quality, and the resultant problem of access. A first step in detangling these problems is to understand how much we are spending, and how much health care we're getting for those dollars. At 650 million taxpayer dollars, covering over 300,000 citizens, this is an obvious place to begin the analysis. If the state of Connecticut is going to take a leadership role in health care, it must begin with casting a critical eye on the programs it sponsors directly.”
Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Community Health Network of Connecticut and Healthnet of Connecticut, Inc. appealed to Superior Court FOIC’s December decision ordering them to reveal reimbursement rates they pay physicians under Medicaid, the joint state-federal program that provides medical care for the poor.
The FOI complaint was brought by Yale Professor Kari Hartwig and supported by New Haven Legal Assistance. It alleges that MCO reimbursement rates are so low that most physicians won’t treat Medicaid patients for many illnesses, injuries and conditions.
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