NAOMI E. SHAIKEN, PRESIDENT

CT CALL TO ACTION, INC.

100 WELLS STREET, APT. 902

HARTFORD, CT 06103

[860] 728-0058 e-mail: alneshaiken@snet.net

AS I SEE IT – JANUARY 2002

We start the New Year off with Health Care issues abounding: at the State level, Governor Rowland is slashing benefits in Mental Health, Medicaid coverage and drug benefits to the elderly [CONNPACE] – all areas affecting the neediest people in our State. This, beside the fact that the number of people, who have lost their health insurance coverage, when their employment was terminated, is rapidly increasing.

At the federal level, when health care should be a prime concern, we have seen no movement on an equitable drug benefit program for the elderly, no compensation for the national increase in people without health insurance coverage and indeed a patch quilt of proposals from privatizing Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, to cutting back on benefits.

The cutbacks in benefits under Medicare and Medicaid not only affect patients, but also enormously affect providers. In Connecticut, we see a growing number of providers who will no longer accept Medicare or Medicaid patients; they have opted out of the systems! Some say they would rather provide free service than go through the hassle of the paper work and low reimbursement schedules, which have been further reduced this year.

In addition, providers have been hit with enormous increases in their medical malpractice insurance, which does not take into account the cost of increases in their rental space or updating their equipment. Elderly people who have Medigap insurance policies have been hit with up to 14% increases in their premiums. Social Security recipients were given a 2.5% increase in their monthly benefits, but are paying an additional $5.00 a month for their Part A [hospital] deduction. For the elderly, none of this keeps pace with inflation. For the providers, it puts an additional burden just in staying in their practice.

The CTCTA continues to speak out on these issues, but we need your help. Everyone should contact the Governor’s office, his or her State and Federal representatives to let them know that the answer to these egregious problems is a national health care system, with everybody in and nobody out.

[We shall resume our meetings in March, when our Board members return from Florida!]

For further information: contact Naomi E. Shaiken – at the above address.